


Pulsing Cerulean ~ Into the Depths (ep. 2)

by fuzball



Series: Pulsing Cerulean (Season 1) [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Action Scene, Adventure, Arguments, Coping, Dream Sequence, Dreams and Nightmares, Exploration, Gay Male Character, Gen, Grief, Guild Mission, LGBTQ Characters, Multi, Rescue Missions, Trains, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, get this lucario some therapy this INSTANT, leonardo (alakazam) is anxious i feel bad for him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28104693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzball/pseuds/fuzball
Summary: Newly a member of Soulstar Guild’s Team Pulse, Cobalt finds himself immediately thrust back into action after the team is recruited for a high-stakes rescue mission involving another team at the guild, set in the treacherous Mt. Thorn, a cavernous Mystery Dungeon. While on the mission, Cobalt, at the head of a mission for the first time without his brother at his side, finds himself struggling to recapture the excitement of exploration he once had.The transcript for Episode 2 of Pulsing Cerulean, a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon-inspired story set in the fictional region of Vazic. Would recommend reading previous episodes to familiarize yourself with the plot and characters!
Relationships: Lucario & Alakazam (Pokemon)
Series: Pulsing Cerulean (Season 1) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1743391
Kudos: 1





	Pulsing Cerulean ~ Into the Depths (ep. 2)

**Author's Note:**

> (Hey, if you're a newcomer to this series, quickly, read this before continuing! First off; welcome! Pulsing Cerulean is an ongoing episodic series based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, but set entirely separate from the actual events of the canon games, featuring an original story, location, and cast of characters! I would HIGHLY recommend jumping back to the pilot episode, which you can find in the Pulsing Cerulean "series", and peruse that if you want to read this episode! Seriously, if you want any idea what's going on in this episode, you're probably gonna need to check back on the first episode. Don't worry, it's a shorter read than this episode! That's all; thank you for reading if you choose to!)
> 
> Howdy! Wow, it's been a minute! My apologies to the two (2) of you are actively reading this series; while this episode has been in the works ever since I published the first episode's transcript, the pacing of my work has been impeded by college work and real-life shenanigans. Thankfully, with college wrapped up for the time being, I've been able to find the time to finish this episode! So here we have the second episode of Pulsing Cerulean!
> 
> This episode largely serves to establish the group dynamic of Team Pulse, to establish the fighting styles of the four members, and to set the scene for how missions and expeditions will work throughout the series. While future episodes will involve much more than a fairly straightforward mission (as this episode, admittedly, does), I think this sets a strong baseline for later episodes in terms of writing these types of scenarios... especially the action scenes, which we actually get some of this episode! The pilot episode was... kind of missing that, I realize.
> 
> I've also gone ahead and made some edits to the presentation; aside from being spaced better, I have also gone out of my way to ensure that, when characters are introduced, their species is specified in the text, so as to help readers out with visualizing the characters more easily. All of the characters, if you may recall, are named Pokémon, and I feel like not having a way to manage the names of characters makes it a little difficult to follow these types of stories. In case you want something to refer to throughout the story, instead of in the middle of the text, I'll provide a list of characters and species in the end notes, as I did with the first episode!
> 
> Otherwise, this is just continuing the story right off the bat of the pilot episode. I hope I did a good job at riding off of what I was able to establish in the pilot episode! (Which, as I said above, if you haven't read it, I would highly recommend you do so! It helps a lot with understanding what the heck's going on!)
> 
> With all that said, I hope you enjoy the second episode of my gratuitously detailed vision for a PMD-inspired animated series! Any reads, kudos, comments, and critiques are always appreciated!

**CONTENT WARNING** : This story contains mildly graphic content, portrayals of trauma, and implied mental illness. 

* * *

**_Previously on_ ** **_Pulsing Cerulean_ ** **_…_ **

**_Cobalt Steele_** _, a Lucario hailing from the capital city of the far-off Vazic region, arrived in the bustling Maraud Town off the heels of witnessing a personal tragedy; the murder of his older brother, Magnus, on a mission with his guild. Although he was seeking an escape from the grief the loss of his brother had inflicted on him, Cobalt’s travel plans changed upon reuniting with_ **_Leonardo Kerrigan_** _, an Alakazam and an old friend of his, by chance. Upon learning of Cobalt’s loss, Leo offered his friend a place to stay and an opportunity to join Soulstar, Maraud Town’s local guild, giving him a space to heal from his trauma. With little else to turn to, Cobalt reluctantly accepted Leonardo’s offer._

_Please refer to the pilot episode, **Holding to the Ground** , if you haven't yet! It makes this whole episode make a whole lot more sense!_

* * *

_(Night has fallen in the Maraud Town suburbs; the yawning glow of dusk has crept up on the village. The vast darkness of the night sky hangs above the quiet, empty roads, with only street lamps illuminating the townscape. Tiny nocturnal Pokémon crowd around the small lamp posts, enraptured by the light. The moon is out in all of its curved, luminescent beauty. Most of the houses that line the side streets have their windows darkened.)_

_(Inside one of the houses,_ **_COBALT_ ** _[_ ** _Lucario_** _] stares at the ceiling of the guest bedroom. He’s wrapped tightly in blankets and pillows, unable to submerge himself in sleep as he intended. From another room, the Lucario can make out a muffled sound; the snores of his friend, LEONARDO. The noise is strangely comforting, yet it sounds miles away.)_

_(COBALT sits up in bed and stares out the window next to his bed, peering at the empty street behind the glass. His eyes wander from the cobble roads to the flickering streetlights, then to the pale moon glittering in the air. He sighs.)_

**Cobalt** _[sotto voce]_ : Why did I think sleeping in a different bed would allow me to fall asleep more easily?

_(Only silence responds to his question to no-one. The Lucario lies back down and tries closing his eyes again.)_

_(All of a sudden, a calm blue light shines from outside, its glow through the window seeping into the bedroom. COBALT opens his eyes again, sits up, and peers out the window again, squinting his eyes to stare at the source of the light. One of the lampposts’ lights have miraculously changed color—what was once a pale glow is now a faint blue.)_

**Cobalt** _[sotto voce]_ : I can’t stay here.

_(COBALT gets out of his bed, puts his glasses on, ties his charm necklace around his neck, and swiftly leaves the room.)_

_(As he soundlessly rushes down the hallway, he stops outside of LEONARDO’s bedroom; the rumble of his friend’s snores are louder from behind the door. COBALT stands for a moment, listening… before shaking his head and continuing down the corridor into the main room. He makes a beeline for the front door.)_

_(COBALT retrieves his dark blue longcoat and pulls it back on. He turns back to the empty room, taking a sad final look around it.)_

**Cobalt** : Thank you for everything, Leonardo. I hope you have it in you to forgive me one day.

_(The Lucario unlocks the front door and quickly leaves the house, shutting it softly behind him. As soon as he steps outside, he strides down the street, turns the corner, and runs up to the glimmering blue streetlight as soon as he catches sight of it.)_

_(He looks around to see if anyone else is around, but, alas, he is alone. He looks back up at the blue light, entranced. He reaches out to touch it, and, to his surprise, he grabs the light from the streetlight in his hand. As he retracts his hand, the lamppost reverts to its pale color.)_

_(The glowing blue orb in his hands twists and turns, morphing into a blue necklace identical to COBALT’s charm. As soon as COBALT can make out the shape, however, the necklace shoots out of his grasp and shoots down the Maraud Town street in a burst of blue fire. COBALT feels for his chest, but his own necklace seems to have vanished.)_

**Cobalt** : Hey!

_(He sprints off after the necklace, blazing down the empty road. As he makes his way down the street, things begin to change. The lampposts change color to the same crystal blue glow as the first as he passes them, and every brick his feet touch on the road do the same. Soon, the street behind COBALT is glittering like the first streetlight did. The Lucario pays no mind to it, however, as he enters the Maraud Town Square, noticing the necklace shoot upwards, floating around the roof of the Soulstar Guild building.)_

**Cobalt** : Wait! Please!

_(COBALT leaps into the air, high enough to grasp the edge of the roof—he scrambles over the ledge, gasping.)_

_(A few inches away sits the necklace, limp. The teardrop-shaped charm is shattered, its soulful blue replaced with a lifeless gray. COBALT stares fearfully at the fragments, crawling over.)_

**Cobalt** : No, no, no, _no, no..._

_(He starts to frantically try and piece together the shattered charm, but he is unable to do anything but scatter the pieces further. In his rush, he cuts his hand—a drop of blood escapes his cut and lands on the roof patio.)_

_(A glowing red figure emerges from the tiny drop, contorting into the shape of another Lucario. COBALT recoils, nearly falling off the roof in his panic. The false Lucario’s crimson red transforms into a cobalt blue as it begins to stagger away. COBALT scrambles back to his feet and calls out to it;)_

**Cobalt** : Magnus! _Wait!_

_(COBALT sprints towards the torpid figure of MAGNUS, clutching the mirage’s shoulders and turning him around. MAGNUS’s eyes are empty, colorless—COBALT can see his own expression of terror reflected back at him.)_

**Magnus** _[blankly]_ : What are you running from, Cobalt?

_(COBALT stops in his tracks, his breathing still heavy. He continues to stare at himself through MAGNUS’s glassy eyes.)_

**Magnus** : What are you so afraid of?

_(COBALT holds his breath, shaking under the eyes of MAGNUS. He can’t think clearly, nothing feels right, he_ can’t _…)_

**Cobalt** _[choked]_ : I… I don’t know. 

_(Silence. Then…)_

**Magnus** : Then what’s the use of running? 

_(Before COBALT can process, MAGNUS’s blank eyes suddenly splinter, cracking like glass. COBALT stumbles back with a choked gasp as MAGNUS’s entire body shatters, the pieces shooting in every direction. COBALT shields his face with his arms from the fragments with a scream.)_

_(He shakily drops his arms, only to see that he is alone—the pieces have vanished, as has “MAGNUS”. He’s left standing there in the quiet of the night, still panting.)_

_(Out of nowhere, another cracking noise is heard. COBALT looks around frantically, then down at the roof under his feet, but the ground is intact. After another crack, he realizes where it’s coming from; he lifts his left hand to his chest and stares at it. A glassy split has formed on it.)_

_(A tear falls from COBALT’s eyes, which lands on the cracked hand. The crack begins to splinter even further.)_

**Cobalt** : _NO!_

_(COBALT wakes up in a cold sweat, still tangled in the blankets of the guest room bed. His heart is pounding, and his breaths are frantic. Immediately, he reaches for the charm necklace on the nightstand, fearing the worst… but it’s right where he left it. He withdraws his hand.)_

_(His head turns to the window view. No strange blue lights or necklaces outside—just a view of the street. There’s no telling how late (or early?) it is.)_

_(COBALT looks away from the window and buries his head in his knees, the pounding of his heart beating in his ears. He can still hear LEONARDO snoring. )_

_(Cut to black.)_

* * *

**__ **

**_Season 1, Episode 2_ **   
_Into the Depths_

* * *

_(Cut to the next morning, a few hours after sunrise. The sky above is painted a faded, cloudy blue, and the twittering of bird Pokémon can be heard from outside.)_

_(_ ** _LEONARDO_ ** _[_ ** _Alakazam_** _] is busy cooking himself some breakfast in his kitchen; despite the early hour, he doesn’t seem tired in the slightest. As he finishes preparing himself what appears to be an omelet, COBALT emerges from his bedroom, looking like he barely slept. His presence immediately catches LEO’s attention.)_

**Leonardo** : Good morning, Cobalt! 

**Cobalt** _[tiredly]_ : Since when do you know how to cook?

**Leonardo** : It pays to know how to feed yourself. Care for an omelet? 

_(COBALT shakes his head, immediately crossing over to the coat rack to retrieve his long-coat. He stops as he reaches for it, before retracting his hand and looking back down at it. He grips the fabric tightly, the image of the previous night’s dream still clear.)_

**Leonardo** : So, how did you sleep last night?

**Cobalt** : Hm? _(He looks up.)_ O-Oh, right. Er... I’m afraid to admit that I didn’t exactly sleep very soundly. 

**Leonardo** : Oh, no! I’m sorry. What was it? The pillows? The window? I can rearrange it if you—

**Cobalt** _[cutting him off]_ : No, no, it was… comfortable, don’t get me wrong. I’ve just… been restless, is all. 

**Leonardo** : … Oh. 

_(COBALT takes his navy cloak and puts it on.)_

**Leonardo** _[uncertainly]_ : … I’ll take your word for it. _(He turns back to his breakfast.)_ Are you sure you don’t wanna eat something before you head to the guild? It’s not exactly healthy to work on an empty stomach, you know. 

_(COBALT briefly reconsiders, before realizing he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.)_

**Cobalt** : Actually, that might not be a bad idea, if you don’t mind.

**Leonardo** : No problem. _(He begins preparing a second omelet for COBALT.)_ Just looking out for you, buddy. Besides, it’ll give you some time to get your papers sorted out for the Guildmaster. 

_(The Alakazam nods towards the papers on the table that the Guildmaster had given COBALT the day before, still blank. COBALT makes his way to the table, swiping a quill and a small bottle of ink to write.)_

**Cobalt** : I wouldn’t have to take another placement exam to join the guild full-time, would I? I’m not exactly familiar with how this process works, transferring from one guild to another.

_(LEONARDO plates one omelet, while continuing on preparing the second.)_

**Leonardo** : I think your experience _should_ carry over? You can discuss the matter with the Guildmaster later, but I’m fairly certain you don’t have to redo anything. And even if you did have to do everything over, Soulstar’s placement trials aren’t nearly as difficult as Liberum Lux’s are, from what I know about them. 

**Cobalt** : Mhm.

_(LEO finishes making COBALT’s breakfast and, using telekinesis, floats the plate over to him.)_

**Cobalt** : Thanks.

**Leonardo** : Anytime. _(He takes his own plate and begins to eat, pacing around the kitchen; Cobalt starts eating as he fills out his paper silently.)_ Anyway, just so you know, Guildmaster Zakariah is holding a Guild Seminar this morning, around… 9 o’clock, I think? I don’t know all the details, but it seems like it’s important. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it in time for the meeting, though. I have to drop my letter to Raf off at the post office, and it’s a good couple of streets down from the guild building…

**Cobalt** : I could catch you up after, if you’d like.

**Leonardo** : Oh, yeah, that’d be great! Yeah, you can meet up with Cassandra and Vivienne at the guild, then. I’ll touch base with you when I sort everything out.

**Cobalt** : Sounds like a plan. 

**Leonardo** : Perfect! You’re a lifesaver. _(He takes another bite.)_ I mean, unless you’re not really comfortable with those two yet? I know you haven’t known either of them for very long, so I’d understand if—

**Cobalt** _[interrupting]_ : I appreciate the concern, but your friends are perfectly good company. 

**Leonardo** _[relaxing]_ : Good. I’m sure they share the sentiment. _(He finishes his breakfast and floats his plate into the sink.)_ I know those two seem like quite the handful, but they’re some of the best team members I could have asked for. They might be... somewhat _rambunctious_ , but they’re loyal, kind-hearted partners, and good friends at that. 

**Cobalt** : They made a strong first impression on me yesterday. I’m looking forward to getting to work more closely with them. 

**Leonardo** : That’s great! It’s only uphill from here, then. 

_(The Alakazam snatches a scroll, tied with a crimson ribbon, off of the table. COBALT briefly looks up from his paperwork at the Alakazam.)_

**Cobalt** : Leo, I can sense your perturbance. Is something bothering you? 

_(LEO pauses, confused, before shaking his head with a light-hearted, embarrassed chuckle.)_

**Leonardo** : I always forget you can do that. Aura reading, right? 

_(COBALT nods, still expecting an answer from his friend. LEONARDO sighs.)_

**Leonardo** : Well, you know me, Coby. I wanna look out for you, even if that means I’m getting my mustache in a twirl for no reason. _(He smiles sheepishly, apology written all over him.)_ I just… don’t wanna be overbearing. 

**Cobalt** : You’re not overbearing, Leo. I promise. You don’t need to worry about me. 

_(A brief flash of last night’s nightmare crosses COBALT’s mind. He freezes, blinks, and shakes his head.)_

**Leonardo** : Right, right, yeah. Sorry. 

**Cobalt** : There’s nothing to apologize for. 

_(LEONARDO still looks worried, but he walks across the room, grabs a lavender scarf from the coat rack, wraps it around his neck, and heads for the front door.)_

**Leonardo** : Well, I’ll see you at the Guild, then?

**Cobalt** : I’ll see you there.

_(LEONARDO gives a somewhat awkward double thumbs-up towards COBALT, but he doesn’t see it; he’s back to his paperwork. LEO’s shoulders fall as he exits the house, although he holds his gaze on COBALT until he’s out the door.)_

_(COBALT hesitates at the bottom of the parchment, looking at the last space he has to fill. His eyes drift over to his writing hand, the right, his mind flickering back to the previous night’s vision. He closes his eyes with a grunt, before touching the quill to the page, signing his name at the bottom.)_

* * *

_(Later, COBALT, now in his cerulean-print cloak, briskly walks down the streets of Maraud Town, clutching his signed parchment in one hand, avoiding eye-contact with anyone he passes. A few eyes fall on him as he makes his way down to the town square, but he doesn’t return any of the stares; he simply keeps his gaze forward as he steps onto the cobblestone path leading up to the Soulstar Guild doors.)_

_(He stops in front of the steps leading up to the entrance and glances upwards at the large plaque hanging above the guild’s front doors, giving himself a second look at the vignette engraved onto it in Unownspeak. “Templum mihi sit templum.”)_

_(COBALT’s shoulders relax as he reminds himself of its meaning. With a deep breath, he pushes the door open, and enters the guild. He’s instantly greeted by the same sense of explosive euphoria he was introduced to the prior morning, as the chatter of excitable Pokémon, the music coming from the wooden platform in the room’s center, and a strangely earthy, autumn-reminiscent air floating around. Today, the circular stage is occupied by a lowkey Toxtricity, strumming their frills to create a bass-like melody underscoring the bustling lobby.)_

_(It’s a lot to take in, just as much as it was the day before, but, this time, it feels familiar to COBALT. He almost feels at ease, surrounded by this unbridled energy.)_

**???** : Ah, Mr. Steele! How pleasant to see you this fine morning!

_(COBALT nearly jumps at the sudden confrontation, but lets his guard down as soon as he recognizes the voice. He turns to find he’s been greeted by_ **_RIZZI_ ** _[_ ** _Mime Jr._** _], who has seemingly appeared out of thin air.)_

**Cobalt** : Ah. Rizzi, right? Good morning to you as well.

**Rizzi** : Guildmaster Zakariah informed me yesterday of your decision to join Soulstar! I just wanted to formally welcome you to our guild. I speak for everyone in this room when I say that we are _honored_ to have a Pokémon of such high prestige gracing our guild with his presence, no matter if it’s temporary or otherwise. In other words… _(She bows quickly.)_ We welcome you with open arms. 

**Cobalt** : Ah, er… thank you, I appreciate the welcome. You don’t suppose when Guildmaster Zakariah is…

**Rizzi** [c _utting him off_ ]: Yes, yes, the Guildmaster… commitment to a schedule has never quite been his strong suit. I’m sure he’ll be ready any moment now, but, as it stands, it seems we have some time before he gives his address. _(She smiles expectantly.)_ With that in mind, I don’t suppose I could entertain you with a formal tour of our Guild building? Or perhaps we could discuss what’s in store for you as a member of Soulstar? Anything to help you settle in better, I can do!

_(COBALT pauses, somewhat overwhelmed by the Mime Jr.’s eagerness.)_

**Cobalt** : I… erm…

**???** : You’ve got nothing to worry about, Rizzi. I’ve already shown him the ropes.

_(The two of them simultaneously turn their heads to acknowledge_ **_CASSANDRA_ ** _[_ ** _Infernape_** _], leaning against the wall adjacent to the two, a mild glint in her eyes.)_

**Rizzi** : Ah, is this true, Mr. Steele?

_(COBALT makes brief eye contact with CASSANDRA, who raises an eyebrow expectantly. He takes the mental note, and refocuses on RIZZI, who is equally anticipatory of a satisfactory answer.)_

**Cobalt** : Yes, actually, she did. I think I’m up to speed.

_(CASSANDRA nods, sneaking a wink towards COBALT’s way, prompting a nervous smile from the Lucario. RIZZI, on the other hand, slumps somewhat, poorly hiding her disappointment.)_

**Rizzi** : Yes, yes… I suppose you’re already familiar with how the Guild program works, what with your previous work. _(She picks herself up again.)_ Very well. Regardless, Mr. Steele, if there is absolutely _anything_ you need from me, anything at all…

**Cobalt** _[with a smile]_ : I’ll be sure to let you know.

**Rizzi** : The pleasure is always mine, Mr. Steele. Have a pleasant morning, you two!

_(As the Mime Jr. toddles away, scepter in hand, CASSANDRA pushes herself off of the wall and at COBALT’s side.)_

**Cobalt** : Nice job being quick on your feet.

**Cassandra** : Thank me later. It’s best you don’t get your ears talked off in your first hour of Soulstar guildmanship. _(She nods approvingly towards the parchment in COBALT’s hand.)_ Anyways, where’s Leo? Being disgustingly early to every Guild Seminar is usually his bread and butter.

**Cobalt** : He’s delivering a letter for Rafael to the town’s mailing services. He mentioned he’d likely be late to the meeting. 

**Cassandra** : Ah, makes sense. Well, Vivienne should be here any minute… _(She turns her head to the door.)_ Oh, speak of the devil.

_(Through the doors emerges_ **_VIVIENNE_ ** _[_ ** _Alolan Raichu_** _], cruising through the entrance on her tail, and holding a white paper bag. She spots her friends and zooms up to them.)_

**Vivienne** : Morning, gang! Got your order, Cassie. _(She pulls a muffin out of the bag and shoves it into the Infernape’s hands. She retrieves another and hands it to COBALT.)_ I dunno what you like to eat, Cobalt, so I just got you blueberry. You just give me that vibe, y’know?

**Cobalt** : I… already ate, thanks.

**Cassandra** _[jokingly]_ : I don’t suppose you could spare a hungry woman a meal?

_[COBALT hands it to her without hesitation. She smirks and snatches it from him.]_

**Cobalt** : So, tell me… do either of you have any idea as to why the Guildmaster called a meeting? 

**Vivienne** : Beats me. Do you think it’s anything serious? 

**Cassandra** : I can’t confirm or deny anything, but I think I have an idea.

**Cobalt** : Hm? 

_(CASSANDRA looks around herself and her friends, as if to ensure they aren’t overheard. She leans her head in closer.)_

**Cassandra** : So, there’s this exploration team that works here, Team Zulfiqar. A few days before you came along, they were outsourced by the Quartz County guild, Crystal Spiral, to investigate some weird happenings over at Mt. Thorn. The job was supposed to last a day, but it’s been almost a week… and they still haven’t come back. 

**Vivienne** : Wait, seriously? I didn’t even realize, but… they haven’t been around town at all, now that I think about it. Do you think they’re in trouble? 

**Cobalt** _[thoughtfully]_ : Yesterday, when Leonardo and I were called into his office, he was in the middle of a transmission with another Guildmaster. We overheard him mention someone who’s been missing for some time...

_(Flashback to the previous day._ **_GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH_ ** _[_ ** _Obstagoon_** _] is speaking through his communicator orb.)_

**Zakariah** : “ _… Concerns growin’ higher with every passin’ day, and still no word from ‘em. Don’t reckon I’ve any other option but to—_ ”

_(He stops, noticing COBALT and LEONARDO enter. Cut back to the present.)_

**Cobalt** : I didn’t think much of it at the time, but with context… that could be what he was referring to. 

**Vivienne** : Well, what do you think he’s gonna do about it? If those guys are really still out there, lost in the mountains?

**Cassandra** : We’re about to find out. Check it.

_(Almost on cue, the pair of double doors on the opposite end of the guild hall swing open, as GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH strides out into the room, and towards the wooden platform in the room’s center. As the doors close behind him, the chatter dies down slowly, as more Pokémon notice the arrival of their Guildmaster.)_

_(The Toxtricity on the platform stands up and hops off, allowing ZAKARIAH to step up onto it, now the forefront of everyone’s attention. The Obstagoon Guildmaster glances around at the crowd of Pokémon surrounding him, studying the eyes of his explorers, and he smirks.)_

**Zakariah** : Good turnout today, aye?

_(He’s met with a resounding “aye!” from most of the Pokémon in the crowd, including CASSANDRA and VIVIENNE. COBALT doesn’t open his mouth, instead choosing to remain silent and observant. ZAKARIAH’s smile fades into seriousness.)_

**Zakariah** : So, you’re all prob’ly wonderin’ why I’ve called a meetin’ today. Heck, some of you may already have an idea as to what it’s for, so let’s just cut to the chase.

_(The Obstagoon scans the room once more before continuing.)_

**Zakariah** : This past week, in collaboration with Crystal Spiral’s Guildmistress, Madame Mazepa, our very own Team Zulfiqar was sent off to Mt. Thorn to investigate “a series of disappearances and disruptions” that was troublin’ a nearby town. The job was meant to consist of a day trip to the mountain town to explore the caverns of Mt. Thorn and look into what was happenin’ over there. 

_(ZAKARIAH brandishes three small blue orbs, which float around him. From the top of each orb, a static-ridden image of a Pokémon flickers into visibility; one of a Gabite, one of a Sandslash, one of a Dewott. The orbs circle around him as he continues.)_

**Zakariah** : The Pokémon of Team Zulfiqar embarked on their day trip five days ago, with the expectation that they’d return to Maraud Town, at the very latest, the followin’ mornin’. _(He pauses, looking troubled.)_ That was five days ago, and Team Zulfiqar has yet to return from their mission.

_(Quiet murmurs begin to simmer around the Obstagoon Guildmaster from those who weren’t already aware of the matter. COBALT and CASSANDRA share a knowing, grave look, while VIVIENNE looks on, worried. ZAKARIAH gestures for the guild Pokémon to quiet, as the whispers die down.)_

**Zakariah** : As of now, no one in Maraud Town’s been able to communicate with the three over Communicatory Orb since the morning they left… not me, not Rizzi or Glenn, not any of their family or friends, not anyone else working at the guild. Additionally, we’ve talked with both Madame Mazepa and her associates, and the people of Piercerock Village, and none of ‘em have heard from ‘em since they first embarked on their mission into Mt. Thorn. Citizens of Piercerock apparently saw Team Zulfiqar enter the mountain the afternoon they arrived… but they claim they haven’t seen ‘em since. None of ‘em were ever seen leavin’ the caverns. 

_(The murmurs from prior erupt into nervous talking. CASSANDRA shakes her head.)_

**Cassandra** : So I was right. They really did disappear… 

**Zakariah** : Hey, _hey! (The talking dies down instantaneously again. The Obstagoon waves his hand, recalling the orbs into his hands.)_ Because of all this, I’ve officially declared Bruce, Ziggs, and River of Team Zulfiqar missin’ in action. We haven’t the slightest clue of where they’re at or how they’re doin’. One thing’s for sure, though; it’s our responsibility, as their guild family, to do our damndest to find them and bring them home in one piece.

_(A few scattershot “woo!”s from the crowd. ZAKARIAH folds his arms and looks around.)_

**Zakariah** : Here’s the good news. With the help of the administrators of both Soulstar and Crystal Spiral, as well as the mayor of Piercerock, we’ve got a plan that we’re settin’ in motion as soon as possible. We can’t wait around for them to make it back themselves at this point; Team Zulfiqar could be in serious danger as we speak, and it’s up to us now. _(He turns around sternly.)_ These guys are way more than just part of the system to me. To me, they’re family. And if a family ain’t lookin’ out for each-other, then they’re not a family at all. 

_(The explosion of cheers set off by this statement is the biggest one thus far, to the point where even CASSANDRA and VIVIENNE have joined in. COBALT remains silent, thoughtfully looking around at the passion surrounding him.)_

**Zakariah** : _HEY!_ _(Silence follows the sound of the voice.)_ I ‘preciate the enthusiasm, but we’re a family, not a cheerleadin’ squad. 

_(A few chuckles from the crowd. ZAKARIAH nods, turning around again.)_

**Zakariah** : We’ll be settin’ the plan in motion in due time. We’ve got a lotta work ahead of us. _(He pauses.)_ That said, while I and my cohorts might be busy stressin’, I still expect one thing outta ya, and that is to make sure the gears are turnin’. Go forward and keep our Guild’s spirit alive. Arceus knows we need it in this tryin’ time.

_(He pauses to look over the crowd one last time. ZAKARIAH locks eyes with COBALT momentarily, and ZAKARIAH’s eyebrows seem to raise slightly. Before long, however, he’s addressing the crowd again.)_

**Zakariah** : I bid you farewell with some advice. Treat today like it’s the best one you’ve ever had, live for the moment, and always remember that you’re a member of the biggest, best family on this side of Maraud Town. And if you mess with one of us, you’re messin’ with all of us, _aye_?

**All** : _AYE_!

**Zakariah** : ‘Cuz who are we?!

**All** : _SOULSTAR, BURNING BRIGHT!_

_(Everyone surrounding him raises their left hand, fingers outstretched where possible. COBALT doesn’t do so at first, but CASSANDRA nudges him with her free arm, and he copies the stance hesitantly.)_

_(ZAKARIAH smiles widely, lowering his hand.)_

**Zakariah** _[quietly]:_ That’s what I like to hear. Stay strong, my friends.

_(The Obstagoon swiftly steps off the platform as the others cheer, before a few Pokémon begin to disperse. COBALT’s eyes follow the Guildmaster’s figure marching across the Guild hall and back through the gilded double doors, exiting through them with a slam. As soon as he’s gone, RIZZI hops onto the stage, tapping her sceptre on the wooden floor below her.)_

**Rizzi** : Thank you, Guildmaster Zakariah, for your words of wisdom! Members of Soulstar Guild, I’d like to take the time to remind you all that decisions are currently being made on the date, time, location, and sponsors for our upcoming annual Guild expedition! Please find time to meet with either myself or Glennard for any questions, concerns, or comments on this fast-approaching event! As you all may know…

**Cassandra** _[to COBALT and VIVIENNE]_ : Ugh, I can’t listen to her after that. _(She starts storming off, as the two follow her.)_ Zakariah spends his time reassuring us that we’re a family, not a company, only for her to step up and completely contradict him.

_(As CASSANDRA trails off, the front doors of the guild open, and through them stumbles in LEONARDO, looking like he had just run a marathon. He immediately spots the trio and practically crawls over to them.)_

**Leonardo** : Got here... as fast as I could… did I… miss it… ?

**Cassandra** : Good morning to you too. 

**Leonardo** : Hold on… sorry, I’m not exactly… as energetic as you are… in the morning. _(He takes one last good breath before nodding and stretching his arms out above his head.)_ So… what did Guildmaster have to say, anyways?

**Vivienne** : Team Zulfiqar. 

_(LEONARDO opens his eyes, his arms falling to the side.)_

**Leonardo** : So, it’s true, then? _(CASSANDRA nods. LEONARDO’s shoulders fall.)_ Jeez… I mean, they’re really still out there? That can’t be good at all. Cassandra, we both know how dangerous it is out there at Mt. Thorn. If they’ve been gone for that long…

**Rizzi** : Leonardo! How wonderful it is to see you this morning! 

_(LEO flinches, as he turns around to acknowledge the sudden appearance of the Mime Jr..)_

**Leonardo** : Yeah, yeah, morning, Rizzi. Sorry I’m late, but Cassandra was just filling me in on the Guildmaster’s Seminar, so you can spare me the recap. 

_(RIZZI tilts her head, clasping her staff with both hands.)_

**Rizzi** : Actually, no, there’s something much more urgent, I’m afraid. Guildmaster Zakariah wanted to meet with you four, Team Pulse, once the seminar ended. _(She redirects her focus to the other three.)_ My apologies for not bringing it up earlier, but I assumed you’d rather be informed as a group. _(She turns around and starts to walk away.)_ Follow me.

_(She strides off, leaving the four others in her wake. LEONARDO and CASSANDRA share a look of confusion.)_

**Cassandra** : I thought you guys already worked everything out yesterday.

**Leonardo** : We did. 

**Vivienne** : Do you think we’re in any trouble?

**Cassandra** : Doubt it, but you never know. _(She starts off.)_ Let’s find out. 

_(LEONARDO and COBALT share a look of uncertainty, before LEO shrugs and starts off behind her. The other two follow suit.)_

* * *

_(CASSANDRA, now outside of GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH’s private quarters, pounds on the violet doors out in the hallway.)_

**Zakariah** _[from inside]_ : C’mon in.

_(CASSANDRA pushes the doors open with some force, entering ZAKARIAH’s office in the forefront, and the other three follow suit. ZAKARIAH is on his feet, examining a circular blue glass table in the room’s center; a projection of what appears to be a three-dimensional map is displayed on its surface. Two other Pokémon join him at the table: Rizzi, standing on a stepstool to examine the table, and_ **_a Goodra_ ** _with a light-green cardigan. The Goodra looks up as they see the quartet of Pokémon walk in.)_

**Goodra** : Well, well. If it isn’t Maraud Town’s most colorful trio. _(He looks up and notices COBALT.)_ Oh, wait, you’re a quartet now, isn’t it? Forgot you guys picked up a straggler.

**Cobalt** : … Straggler?

**Leonardo** : Cobalt, this is Glennard, he’s our expeditive manager and head of the apprenticeship program. _(_ ** _GLENN_ ** _[_ ** _Goodra_** _]_ _shoots COBALT a peace sign.)_ He basically keeps things running smoothly around here in terms of missions, the team system, new recruits… he’s pretty much the assistant Guildmaster around here.

_(RIZZI clears her throat from across the room. LEO pauses.)_

**Leonardo** : … And, uh, yeah, Glenn, this is Cobalt. He’s new to Soulstar and… well, yeah, new to Team Pulse. 

**Glenn** : Yo. 

**Cobalt** : Hey.

**Zakariah** : Hate to break up the meet ‘n’ greet, but we’ve gotta make this quick. 

( _The four Team Pulse Pokémon turn to him, all standing in line.)_

**Zakariah** : You haven’t made any plans for missions today, have you, now?

**Leonardo** : Nope.

**Vivienne** _[overlapping]_ : Don’t think so!

**Cassandra** _[overlapping]_ : Not yet.

_(COBALT just shakes his head. ZAKARIAH nods.)_

**Zakariah** : Good, good. I’m just gonna give it to you straight, then. After a good long discussion with Madame Mazepa, as well as extra input from Rizzi and Glenn, we’ve unanimously decided that you are the most qualified team of Pokémon at this guild to lead the rescue initiative for Team Zulfiqar.

_(A beat. The Team Pulse members exchange looks of surprise.)_

**Cassandra** : You’re… you’re serious?

**Zakariah** : Without a doubt in my mind. 

**Vivienne** : Uh… wow, okay. I… I dunno, that’s pretty big.

**Cassandra** _[equally surprised]_ : _Huge._

**Zakariah** : Mhm. I get this is a bit sudden, considerin’ how long we’ve had to plan. But I’ve been watchin’ your work very closely over the past coupla weeks, and, with consideration for your individual strengths, your collective strong work ethic and collaboration skills, and, in the case of Leo and Cass, your familiarity with Mt. Thorn’s twists and turns… if there’s anyone who can handle a mission like this, it’s you four. Rizzi and Glenn both agree. 

_(LEONARDO steps forward, his hands folded at his chest.)_

**Leonardo** : Guildmaster Zakariah… this is a massive undertaking, and certainly an important one, I understand, but… are you sure it’s safe to send out another team after the first one you sent is still missing in action? _(ZAKARIAH raises an eyebrow.)_ P-Please don’t misunderstand me, Guildmaster. I am one hundred percent willing to lead this endeavor, I just… want to make sure you understand the risk. Especially considering we’re still a low-rank team, and whatnot...

_(CASSANDRA glances at LEONARDO with contempt. The Alakazam falls back somewhat, his head falling.)_

**Leonardo** _[quickly]_ : … I’m sorry, Guildmaster. I shouldn’t be one to question your judgement.

_(The Obstagoon stands up straight, his arms folded. He begins to pace around the room.)_

**Zakariah** : Listen, Leo. I get where you’re comin’ from, really. We’re playin’ things real risky with how we’re approachin’ the mission, without knowin’ what went on inside of Mt. Thorn. But ya gotta recognize that we’re past the point where we can play things safe. If we were to play it safe, we’d be leavin’ ‘em out there, content thinkin’ they’ll just waltz on out of Mt. Thorn without a scratch in a few days. Unless they’re the luckiest Pokémon alive, that ain’t gonna happen.

_(He passes by the projection table, waving a hand over it, which rotates the holographic image of Mt. Thorn around 180 degrees. LEONARDO starts rubbing his arm.)_

**Zakariah** : At this point, we gotta cross our fingers that they’re still kickin’, and send our best ‘mons out there to bring ‘em home to their friends ‘n’ family. We’ll be takin’ every precaution we could think of, mind you, but, at this point, we gotta take direct action, ya hear me? 

**Leonardo** : … I do. And I’m sorry.

**Zakariah** : Save it. Heard you the first time. _(He walks back to his desk.)_ Now, I understand if any of you have any reservations knowin’ what might have happened to Zulfiqar, and I’m not gonna try and coerce or pressure you into takin’ that responsibility...

**Cassandra** : You don’t have to. You know I’m in. 

_(ZAKARIAH stops, eying CASSANDRA with mild exasperation for interrupting him.)_

**Zakariah** : As I was sayin’. I’m hirin’ you four exclusively, and, as such, I’m more than happy to pay you for acceptin’ this mission. After all, this is the kinda mission that has a lotta value to me… and Arceus knows how many others. 

**Leonardo** : I-I’m not sure if that’s nec-

**Cassandra** _[interrupting LEONARDO]_ : We appreciate your generosity, Guildmaster. I, for one, would be honored to help any way I can.

_(She glares at LEO as she ends her sentence, who grimaces. ZAKARIAH snorts.)_

**Zakariah** : Well, we knew that much already. And the rest of ya? _(He turns to COBALT.)_ I know this is a lot to ask for you especially, Steele. What with it bein’ your first day ‘n’ all. _(He turns back to the collective Team Pulse.)_ But _if_ any of you don’t feel comfortable doin’ this, I won’t force you. That goes for all of you. Just speak now or forever hold your peace.

**Leonardo** : Sign me up. 

**Vivienne** _[determinedly]_ : Yeah! These are our friends we’re talking about. 

_(This just leaves COBALT. ZAKARIAH faces the Lucario, awaiting a yes or a no.)_

**Cobalt** : I might be new to the Soulstar Guild, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to turn a blind eye to this matter. _(He looks his Guildmaster in the eye, and hands him his rolled-up parchment.)_ I’m in. 

_(ZAKARIAH unfurls the scroll, gives it a quick look up and down, and rolls it back up with a satisfied nod.)_

**Zakariah** : That’s what I like to hear. 

* * *

_(Fade into a view of the Blackbird Express train station in Maraud Town. COBALT, LEONARDO, CASSANDRA, VIVIENNE, ZAKARIAH, and GLENN stand in a group on the train platform. The train rides into the station, coming to a stop; the door to one of the compartments opens. CASSANDRA and GLENN step on, followed by COBALT, LEONARDO, and VIVIENNE, all of them with tickets in hand. ZAKARIAH stays behind, watching the group closely.)_

_(As each of them hand their tickets off to a Loudred conductor and take their seats, ZAKARIAH’s voice is heard;)_

**Zakariah** _[voiceover]_ : The train’s gonna take ya straight to Piercerock, where we’ve got a team of Pokémon waiting for ya to debrief ya on the mission and help ya stock up. Glenn’s gonna stay behind with the townspeople while you all head into Mt. Thorn. We’ll be doin’ our best to make sure you’re as safe as possible; that means havin’ Communicatory Orbs and Rollcall Orbs at the ready, stockin’ up on medicine, the works. 

_(We see a shot of the Blackbird Express closing its doors and leaving the station, before seeing another of it speeding across the Vazic prairies. Inside of the compartment, COBALT sits across from LEONARDO, staring out the window vacantly. LEO, GLENN, CASS, and VIVIENNE are sharing conversation, but COBALT doesn’t seem so invested in it.)_

**Zakariah** _[voiceover; cont’d]_ : You’ll head into the mountain as soon as you’re fully stocked up, to which you’ll explore the deeper parts of the caverns. If, at any point, any of you find yourselves in danger, you can send a signal to Glenn, and he’ll activate the Rollcall Orb; we’ll make sure you’re connected to it before you get in there. Glenn’ll also instruct you on how to connect other Pokémon to its pull, in the case that you find any of the members of Team Zulfiqar. 

_(The next shot, the prairie begins to fade away in place of a mountainous plateau littered with gravel and dry bushes.)_

**Zakariah** _[voiceover; cont’d]_ : You’ll spend as much time as you can inside of Mt. Thorn searchin’. I’ll be sure to update Glenn on what the plan is, if it ever changes. _(A pause.)_ You all have a lot ridin’ on this mission, so I’m countin’ on ya to be thorough, and, if we’re lucky, we’ll bring these guys home.

**Leonardo** _[voiceover]_ : And what happens if we don’t find them?

_(The train begins to pull into the Piercerock station. Piercerock is an incredibly rural small town located on the edge of the treacherous Mt. Thorn, with a population that’s barely in the triple digits. The mountainous village is surrounded by jagged rocks and fallen boulders. Sitting at the far end of town is the entrance to Mt. Thorn itself, a labyrinth of sharp twists and turns inside of a coal-littered cave system.)_

**Zakariah** _[voiceover]_ : … Then we pronounce the Pokémon of Team Zulfiqar dead.

* * *

_(The train car door opens once more, as the Pokémon of Team Pulse, one by one, step out; CASSANDRA leading, followed by VIVIENNE, LEONARDO, COBALT, and finally GLENN. As they emerge from the train and gather on the stone platform, the train door closes behind them.)_

**Cassandra** : Alright, Glennie, you’re the boss. Tell us where we’re going and who we should be talking to. 

**Glenn** : Well, Zak said there should be some Medicham fellow waiting for us. _(Beat.)_ And don’t call me that.

**Cassandra** : Whatever you say, Glenneth.

**Leonardo** : Is that the guy over there?

_(LEONARDO indicates a Medicham standing on the other end of the platform, leaning against a pillar.)_

**Glenn** : Looks like it.

_(The five approach the Medicham as a group, who notices them arrive. He stands upright and faces the team.)_

**Medicham** : You are the Soulstar Guild Rescue Team, correct?

**Cassandra** : That’s us. The name’s Cassandra, I’m the leader of Team Pulse.

**Leonardo** _[cutting in]_ : Hey, you’re not... _(He stops himself, realizing there’s no use in trying to argue. He sticks out his hand.)_ Nevermind. Leonardo Kerrigan. Co-founder.

**Vivienne** : Vivienne! Member.

**Cobalt** : Cobalt. Member.

**Glenn** : Glenn. I’m just the babysitter. You can take ‘em from here.

**Medicham** : Marvelous. Follow me, then. 

_(He beckons Team Pulse to follow him as he exits the train platform; exchanging nervous glances, CASSANDRA and LEONARDO follow him, GLENN and VIVIENNE tailing behind. COBALT sticks to the back, taking a deep breath before following the group.)_

* * *

_(The Medicham leads Team Pulse into a makeshift campsite, made up of several tents and boxes scattered around the gravel-littered ground. The campsite surrounds the cavernous entrance of Mt. Thorn, a massive monolith of stone and steel with an unnerving appearance; the mountain appears to have large spikes made of rock protruding it. A few other Pokémon work around the campsite, preparing supplies or studying maps. Leading this initiative is a gruff-looking Conkeldurr.)_

**Medicham** : Claymore, sir! Team Pulse has arrived.

_(The Conkeldurr,_ **_CLAYMORE_** _, eyes the five Pokémon with a judgemental glint.)_

**Claymore** : Zakariah sent ‘em?

**Vivienne** : That’s us!

_(CLAYMORE eyes down Team Pulse some more, before letting out a satisfied grunt.)_

**Claymore** : You’ll do. Come with me.

**Cassandra** : What’s that supposed to mean?

**Leonardo** _[hushed]_ : Cassandra, not now.

_(CASSANDRA’s mouth shrinks, but she resigns to silence. The Team Pulse squadron follows CLAYMORE into the campsite.)_

**Claymore** : I’m guessin’ you’ve been debriefed on what you’re doin’ here, then?

**Leonardo** : Guildmaster Zakariah informed us of our mission, yes. You’ll be assisting us with supplies while we head into Mt. Thorn, correct?

**Claymore** : That ‘n’ a lil’ more. I’ll be sendin’ up some of my explorers up with ya. 

**Cassandra** : You’re sending us in with your pals? _(She lowers her voice to speak to her teammates.)_ Zak didn’t mention that part.

**Claymore** : Think of it as an improvisation on my part. Don’t hurt to have ’ a coupla extra cards in the deck, considerin’ the situation. _(He glances back at CASSANDRA.)_ And I may come off to you as daft, young lady, but I definitely ain’t deaf. 

_(CASSANDRA and LEONARDO exchange nervous glances. GLENN coughs, disguising a chuckle.)_

_(CLAYMORE leads the five over to a tent where a few other Pokémon are waiting around;_ ** _PIEDRO_** _[_ ** _Graveler_** _],_ ** _ROSA_** _[_ ** _Heatmor_** _], and_ ** _CADOGAN_** _[_ ** _Gurdurr_** _]. CADOGAN is seen with a large steel beam in his hands.)_

**Claymore** : Right, then. Piedro, Rosa, and Cadogan… together, they form Team Clay. Our finest explorers here in Piercerock, I reckon.

**Leonardo** _[awkwardly]_ : Delighted to make your acquaintance. 

**Rosa** : What?

**Cassandra** : He means hey. _(LEONARDO glares at her as she turns aside to CLAYMORE.)_ Why aren’t _you_ comin’ with us, then? I dunno, you seem pretty built for... wrecking stuff. 

**Claymore** : I appreciate the sentiment, lady, but I’m a bit of a geezer, now. Can’t “wreck stuff” nearly as well as my boy can. Ain’t that right, Caddie?

**Cadogan** : Right on, pops.

**Cassandra** : Oh, so he’s your old man? 

_(She tilts her head towards CLAYMORE, who rolls his eyes.)_

**Claymore** : That's one way you can put it, I guess.

**Vivienne** : Nice to meet you guys!

**Claymore** : Yeah, yeah, pleasure all around. Now let’s start gettin’ our act together, aye?

**Cadogan** : On it.

**Rosa** : Mhm.

**Cassandra** : Sick.

_(The group disperses, heading to different parts of the campsite. VIVIENNE follows the Team Clay triad, loudly introducing herself;)_

**Vivienne** : I’m Vivienne! My friends call me Vivi, though. Well, one of my friends. What’s it like here in Piercerock? I’ve never been here! I hear the mountain is _soooo_ cool-

_(Meanwhile, GLENN and CLAYMORE start to walk off, leaving the triad of Team Pulse members behind. GLENN turns his head as he walks.)_

**Glenn** : You guys just start getting ready. Check in with the supplies station, talk to Team Clay… you know the deal.

_(CASSANDRA gives him the thumbs up, and the two stroll off.)_

**Cassandra** : Aight, well…I’m gonna go get my stuff together. 

**Leonardo** : Have fun.

_(CASSANDRA shoots him a finger gun, and walks off. COBALT and LEONARDO remain. LEONARDO looks somewhat tense.)_

**Leonardo** : Jeez, this is all a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?

**Cobalt** : Hm, a little. But a part of me is actually somewhat excited.

**Leonardo** _[curiously]_ : Really?

**Cobalt** _[false reassurance]_ : What can I say? I missed the adrenaline rush.

**Leonardo** _[perking up]_ : Oh, yeah, definitely! Feels like it’s been a while since I’ve been on a mission like this. _(He pauses for a moment, shuffling around somewhat.)_ Of course, there’s the whole “rescuing our guildmates that may or may not be dead” thing… that’s a big weight on our shoulders. 

**Cobalt** : I understand if you’re feeling anxious.

**Leonardo** _[weakly]_ : Ha, well… between the mission and what I said to the Guildmaster earlier, you can’t really blame me, right?

**Cobalt** : I’m sure the Guildmaster isn’t the type of Pokémon who holds grudges, Leonardo. He didn’t seem awfully bothered by what was essentially a slip of the tongue. 

**Leonardo** : Well… yeah , but… 

_(A beat. LEONARDO sighs.)_

**Leonardo** _[quietly]_ : Never mind. I’m just gonna start gathering my things and hope I can get my mind off of it.

_(LEONARDO paces away, fiddling with his spoon ring. COBALT silently watches him, before turning to stare into the gaping dark entrance of Mt. Thorn. Something seems to be calling out to him in the mountain… something unnerving. A chill runs down his spine.)_

**Claymore** : Oi, Lucario. 

_(COBALT jumps, completely caught off guard by the Conkeldurr appearing at his side.)_

**Cobalt** : Hm?!

**Claymore** : Quit loungin’ around. Everyone’s movin’ quickly. I’d advise you to do the same.

_(COBALT glances once more at the mountain. A sudden urge to leave Piercerock altogether rises inside of him.)_

**Cobalt** : … Right. 

* * *

_(A few minutes pass. GLENN, holding an armful of blue orbs, approaches LEONARDO, CASSANDRA, and VIVIENNE, who are at the home stretch of preparation.)_

**Glenn** : Quick, take these bad boys from me before they slip outta my hands. _(CASS takes two and distributes them between the others, before taking one for herself.)_ You know how these work, right?

**Vivienne** : Um, not really?

**Leonardo** : The “lesser” Rollcall Orbs that we have on hand are programmed to connect to a “master” Rollcall Orb. When one of the lesser orbs are activated, it teleports the user and their companions back to the master’s location. 

**Glenn** : Right-o. You give the glass a good swipe and it’ll send ya straight to Claymore. 

**Cassandra** : And I’m guessing more than one Pokémon can use one at a time?

**Glenn** : Exactly, so if you find Team Zulfiqar down there…

**Leonardo** : Or when.

**Glenn** : … _When_ you find Team Zulfiqar down there, you can hook ‘em up to your respective orbs, and they’ll come flying back with ya. Now, while we _could_ send all seven of ya with only one, we aren’t taking any chances with having ten Pokémon sharing one orb, so I’m giving each of you one to hold on to. 

**Cassandra** : Well, one more Orb isn’t gonna make my bag any easier to lug around. I’m all stocked up full of these things. _(She opens her satchel to reveal a pile of Orbs and Stones, including a Sunny Orb of an amber color.)_

**Glenn** : Hey, Cobalt!

_(The Goodra glances at COBALT, who is standing on his own, leaning against a rock with his eyes closed. The Lucario looks up.)_

**Glenn** : Think fast!

_(GLENN reels back and chucks the Orb at COBALT. The Lucario instinctively dives out of the way, and the Orb shatters against the rock, sending glass everywhere. VIVI and GLENN wince, as LEO lets out a surprised shout. CASS lets out a howl of laughter.)_

**Glenn** : Shoot.

**Leonardo** : What’d you do that for?!

**Glenn** : I overshot, okay? Sorry, Cobalt!

_(COBALT doesn’t move, still curled up on the ground. GLENN and LEO exchange a look of concern. LEO, worried, rushes over to COBALT’s side.)_

**Leonardo** : Cobalt? Cobalt, are you al-

**Cobalt** _[shakily]_ : Yeah... yeah, I’m… _(He pushes himself on his feet, a trembling fist gripping his charm necklace.)_ I’m fine. I’m sorry.

**Glenn** : Yeah, uh--my bad! You’ll just, uh, go into the dungeon one orb down. _(He turns around to VIVI and CASS.)_ You guys don’t mind sharing, right?

**Claymore** _[from afar]_ : Hey! You four! You ready?

_(The four pick their heads up, turning to CLAYMORE and the others, who have their act together.)_

**Cassandra** : Yeah, just a second. Leo, Cobalt, get your hides over here!

_(CASSANDRA waves the two over. LEONARDO helps COBALT up and walks him over.)_

**Cassandra** : You two ready?

**Leonardo** _[unconvincingly]_ : Heh, ready as I’ll ever be. Cobalt?

_(COBALT only nods, his head down. His hand is still shaking.)_

**Cassandra** : Hey, Cobalt. Earth to canine. Everything alright?

_(COBALT snaps his head back up.)_

**Cobalt** : I’m sorry, I just… got thrown off for a moment. But I’m ready.

_(CASSANDRA raises an eyebrow, unconvinced.)_

**Cassandra** : You can stay behind with Glenn if you’re not feelin’ up to snuff, y’know. 

**Leonardo** : Are you sure, dude?

**Cobalt** _[with finality]_ : Positive.

**Cassandra** : … Whatever you say. _(She turns out to the other three.)_ Alright, gang, I’m gonna keep the motivational speech quick. We’ve got an important operation on our hands, and our friends’ lives are at stake here. So let’s give this one our all, alright?

**Vivienne** : Yeah!

**Leonardo** : Definitely.

**Cobalt** : Right.

**Cassandra** : Let’s do this. Hands in.

_(CASSANDRA sticks her hand out, palm down. VIVIENNE follows, then LEO, and, after a moment of hesitation, COBALT.)_

**Cassandra** : Spirit on three. One… two… three!

**All** : Spirit!

_(All of them raise their hands in the air as one; COBALT is late, but comes in as soon as he realizes. CLAYMORE approaches the quartet alongside GLENN.)_

**Claymore** : Yeah, yeah, this is cute and all, but we get a move on now? 

**Cassandra** : Well said, big guy. Team Pulse, roll out.

_(With a quick beckoning motion with her hand, CASSANDRA heads towards the entrance of Mt. Thorn, where PIEDRO, ROSA, and CADOGAN have been waiting, PIEDRO with his four arms folded. COBALT, LEONARDO, and VIVIENNE follow suit.)_

**Piedro** : You done holdin’ us up, or what?

**Cassandra** : Actually, yeah, we are. 

**Rosa** : Don’t mind Piedro. He might be a total grump, but he gets the job done.

**Piedro** : There a reason you gotta say it right here?

**Rosa** _[slyly]_ : Take the hint.

**Cadogan** : You two, enough! We’ve gotta take this seriously, alright? 

**Piedro** : … Hmph.

**Cassandra** _[to her teammates]_ : Remember, we move as a unit, don’t let anyone get lost, and hold on to your Orbs. We’ve got this, guys, alright?

**Leonardo** _[faintly]_ : We’ll see.

**Cobalt** : I hope so.

**Vivienne** : Let’s do this thing!

_(CLAYMORE and GLENNARD approach the seven.)_

**Glenn** : If any of you have any last questions or concerns, now’s the time to get ‘em out there. Speak now, or forever hold your peace.

_(Silence. GLENN nods, satisfied.)_

**Glenn** : Then I’ll leave you to it. Anything else you wanna say, big guy?

_(CLAYMORE scans the exploration group thoughtfully, before closing his eyes.)_

**Claymore** : Good luck. 

**Glenn** : Well said. Best of luck, stay safe, and hope for good news. Now get out there and do Soulstar proud, alright?

_(A few scattered corroborations. CASS smirks.)_

**Cassandra** : Mission start.

_(The Infernape runs off into the caverns of Mt. Thorn.)_

**Cadogan** : W-Wait! Hold on!

_(The Gurdurr runs off, followed by PIEDRO and ROSA. VIVIENNE follows, sailing off after them, leaving LEONARDO and COBALT in the back, as they take off as well.)_

* * *

_(Deeper into Mt. Thorn, CASSANDRA skids to a halt, waiting for the others to catch up. VIVIENNE reaches her first, followed by COBALT, LEONARDO, and their allies in Team Clay.)_

**Cassandra** : So here’s what I’m thinking. When Leonardo and I came here for the first time a few years ago, our touchdown area was the sixth floor, the bottom of the mountain. It’s a trip and a half down there, and there’s some dangerous ferals lurking around, but that’s important to know. ’cuz if there’s one thing I learned about this place, it’s that the deeper down we go, the more likely someone’s gonna run into trouble. _(She turns to LEONARDO.)_ Leonardo, you would know this better than me. What was Zulfiqar’s mission report?

_(LEONARDO picks his head up, panting still from his burst of running.)_

**Leonardo** : Team Zulfiqar was called to investigate what were described as “a series of disappearances and disruptions” linked to the mountain. Over the past month, Piercerock citizens reported weird noises, sightings of unfamiliar Pokémon, and exceptionally common rockfall compared to the usual. In addition… two Piercerock citizens who went off to investigate never returned. The people of Piercerock hired Zulfiqar to try and piece together the mystery behind the disappearances… only for the same to happen to the team. 

**Cassandra** : And Zulfiqar’s plan was to go deep down underground, wasn’t it?

**Leonardo** : I believe so. 

**Cassandra** : My point exactly. And, knowing the type of Pokémon prowling around the deeper parts of the mountain, I think it’s safe to assume we have an idea as to who the culprits are. So I think if we go down there, we find Team Zulfiqar.

**Leonardo** : Or the Pokémon responsible. 

**Cadogan** : Or both, or neither. We don’t know what we’re gonna find if we go down there. 

**Cassandra** : Maybe, but if there’s anywhere I think we’ll find ’em, it’s down below. Trust me. _(She starts off down the corridor.)_ I know this mountain’s layout far better than I think I should, so I can lead you guys to the bottom floor, no problem. Now, follow me. 

**Cadogan** : And what exactly are you planning to do in the case we cross paths with the culprit? 

_(CASSANDRA turns around and stares at the Gurdurr contemptuously, as if the answer couldn’t be more obvious.)_

**Cassandra** : Beat ’em to a pulp and book it with our friends?

**Cadogan** : … Fair enough.

_(CADOGAN nods his head to his team, signalling them to follow him and CASS. They all start heading down the tunnel, as COBALT lingers in the back of the group with LEONARDO and VIVIENNE.)_

**Vivienne** : So, Cobalt, what kinda fighting do you do, anyways? I don’t think I’ve seen you in action at all yet.

**Cobalt** : Aura-based, mostly. Rather than committing to a fighting style based on my capabilities, I allow my approach to battle to fluctuate depending on the situation, and use my Aura energy to accentuate my abilities. Call it adaptability, if you’d like.

**Vivienne** : Whoa, cool! 

**Cobalt** : How about you?

**Vivienne** _[brightly]_ : I go fast and shoot things!

**Cobalt** : … Ah. 

**Leonardo** _[correctionally]_ : Well, it’s not _quite_ that simple. Vivienne combines her psychic abilities with the electricity she naturally generates, allowing her to move and fight at a faster rate. Meanwhile, I move more slowly, but I also possess more control in my movements at that. Additionally, I have less capacity for how much energy I can store, but have a stronger, more concentrated output. Key differences.

**Cassandra** _[from ahead]_ : And yet you two both manage to be a bunch of dumb nerds. Life is beautiful, isn’t it? 

_(The Alakazam rolls his eyes.)_

**Cassandra** : I hate to break up the small talk, but we gotta keep our voices down once we’re deeper down. Wouldn’t wanna attract any... unwanted attention. 

**Cobalt** : Ferals, correct?

**Cadogan** : Mhm. No one in town knows for sure what kinda Pokémon have been lurkin’ down there, all we know is that they’re there. Some folks are sayin’ dragons, but no one’s really certain.

**Cassandra** : The dragon theory would line up nicely with the first time Leo and I came here, but I dunno if they stuck around since then. 

**Leonardo** : I guess we’ll find out eventually, right?

**Vivienne** : Right.

**Rosa** : Hmph.

_(The team continues into the darkness with caution, fading out of view. Behind them, out of their line of sight, a shadow slinks behind a larger rock in the cavern, before creeping away down the tunnel.)_

* * *

_(An exploration “montage” of sorts begins, over a voiceover of VIVIENNE. She begins speaking as the montage begins;)_

**Vivienne** _[voiceover]_ : Mystery Dungeons are unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, and almost always exciting to a Pokémon with the heart of an explorer. The environment of a dungeon is never the same whenever someone enters, so that maps can never truly be made for one. Plants grow and wilt, broken walls and statues rebuild themselves, and the entrances to new floors change positions; the best part is, not a single Pokémon on this planet has been able to provide a strong explanation for how Mystery Dungeons work.

_(Unfolding alongside the narration, the squadron navigates further and further down Mt. Thorn, through stretching underpasses, dark burrows, cramped crevices, and caverns with ceilings riddled with rigid stalactites. CASS leads the way, her fire burning brighter as the group ascends deeper into the mountain’s darkness.The group moves silently, carefully, moving from floor to floor, each floor ominously empty.)_

**Vivienne** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Mt. Thorn is recognized as one of the more unsettling Mystery Dungeons in the Vazic region. The amount of Pokémon willing to explore its depths are so few that many parts of the dungeon are almost completely devoid of life. Of course, one wrong turn will lead you headfirst into trouble. The Mystery Dungeon buried in Mt. Thorn spans several floors, but the effects of the dungeon seem to dissipate near the bottom sixth floor, for reasons few are able to explain. 

_(At one point, CASS breaks through a thin wall of rock with a swift, powerful punch; LEO winces behind her, but follows her through the hole with caution, as do the others. As she steps through, she notices a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness, as an Ariados skitters into the light, baring its fangs. CASS silently motions for the others to stay back; the Ariados pounces at her, only for the Infernape to pound the spider into the wall with a swift Fire Punch, knocking it out. After checking to make sure the coast is clear, she beckons the rest of the team to follow her.)_

**Vivienne** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Of course, the Pokémon living in the dungeon have learned to adjust to this anomaly, knowing never to stay in one place for too long. Life _is_ all about adapting to change, after all. Ferals are Pokémon who stay true to their roots in the wild, choosing to live amongst nature instead of integrating themselves into society. There’s no shame in that life, at all… but many ferals are territorial, and rather violent. Some live in the regional wilderness, while others live in Mystery Dungeons, preying on those who aren’t prepared to fend for themselves. 

_(As a tense-looking COBALT steps through, he sees a large shadow with a wolf-like appearance against the side wall, causing him to jump with a gasp, his hands flaring up with Aura. His head turns swiftly, only to find the shadow is coming from a carved stalagmite protruding from the ground ahead, illuminated by the warm light radiating from CASS.The others stare at him for a moment, LEO with concern, the others with confusion. COBALT shakes his head, relieving the Aura from his body, and continuing onward, his head down.)_

**Vivienne** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : It’s said that the Mystery Dungeon of Mt. Thorn is so devoid of life because the Pokémon living in the deepest crevices of the mountain are the ones to fear the most. Though many are unsure what lurks at the mountain’s end, it’s recently been determined by a pair of explorers from the Soulstar Guild that the Pokémon are powerful, protective, and dangerous… the type of Pokémon that shouldn’t be messed with. 

_(A few floors, and an unspecified amount of time, later, the team of seven step down another set of cobblestone stairs into a dark, narrow crevice, with only CASSANDRA’s effervescent flames illuminating the surrounding area. The caverns have gone from smooth and dry to damp and dank in a matter of levels.)_

**Piedro** _[hushed]_ : You sure we’re goin’ the right way, hothead?

**Cassandra** : I’ll get back to you once you think of a more clever nickname. _(She stops, an idea crossing her mind.)_ Hey, Leo. You think you could do the spoon thing?

**Leonardo** : Hm? Oh, right, the spoon thing! _(He grabs the ring of spoons from his belt, clicking the metal ring open and unlooping the six spoons from it. He begins to hand them out to the group, one per Pokémon.)_ Hold these for a second.

**Cadogan** : The... _spoon thing_?

**Piedro** _(dryly)_ : I knew this mission was missing something. 

**Vivienne** : Shh! Just give him a second!

**Rosa** : To do what? To crack open a can of soup and chow down?

**Cassandra** : Watch.

_(Once everyone has a spoon in hand, LEONARDO takes a deep breath, before slowly drawing his hands apart, his fingers maneuvering in a rippled manner, and clapping them together with force. All at once, the spoons begin to glow, filling the entire cavern with a warm pink light. COBALT and CADOGAN’s team react with surprise, although CASS looks more smug than anything else.)_

**Cadogan** : Whoa!

**Rosa** : Wow.

**Cassandra** _(“I-told-you-so”)_ : Wow indeed.

**Leonardo** : They’re cool, right? Just give them back to me when you’re done. _(He starts off at the head of the group.)_ I need these bad boys for more than making pretty lights. Besides, I don’t wanna waste too much energy before we have to do any fighti–

_(Before he can finish his thought, LEO runs head-on straight into a wall. He bounces off the wall upon impact, covering his nose in pain.)_

**Leonardo** : Ow!

_(CASS manages to hold back a snort.)_

**Cassandra** : Smooth. _(She approaches LEO, feeling the wall. She knocks on it lightly and smirks.)_ Allow me.

_(The Alakazam backs up. CASSANDRA raises a fist up near her right cheek, blowing a burst of fire onto it and lighting it aflame. She reels back, twirling her fist in a circle twice, and, with a grunt, punches through the wall, shattering the rock to create a large hole where she punched it.)_

**Cadogan** : Any reason you felt the need to Fire Punch it when you just needed to break the wall down?

**Cassandra** _[casually]_ : It looks cooler that way. C’mon, I think we’re getting close to the last floor. 

_(The Infernape leaps through the hole, stepping onto the cave floor, before shuddering; the floor is pooled with a thin layer of water.)_

**Cassandra** _[quietly]_ : Yeesh. I forgot about how wet it can get down here. _(She turns her head to the others.)_ Careful not to slip.

_(The rest of the team steps through; first LEONARDO, then CADOGAN, followed by ROSA and PIEDRO. After VIVIENNE and COBALT climb through, the rocks fly back into position, reforming the wall, causing the Graveler to jump.)_

**Piedro** : Whoa, what the hell?!

**Vivienne** _[amusedly]_ : You must’ve never been in a Mystery Dungeon if you’ve never seen a regenerating wall. 

_(PIEDRO huffs and marches away. COBALT takes a good look around; the damp room is empty, save for the rescue team, but a large, shallow lake sits in the room’s center, surrounded by moss-covered stalagmites and mushrooms. CASSANDRA and LEONARDO have already approached the lake.)_

**Leonardo** _[revelling]_ : The underground lake… this was here the first time we came here, Cassandra!

**Cassandra** : This lake must be where the Mystery Dungeon ends. You think we’re close?

**Leonardo** : I think we’re standing on the cusp of it. _(He turns to the others.)_ Guys, come over here!

_(VIVIENNE sails over on her tail, landing at the edge of the lake, her feet dipping into the water. CADOGAN trudges over with his teammates, while COBALT joins LEONARDO’s side at the lake.)_

**Leonardo** : I don’t think we really touched base on what kind of combat style you and your friends employ, Cadogan. Do you mind enlightening us for a moment?

**Cadogan** : Well, you see this bad boy, right? _(He lifts the steel beam he’s been lugging around.)_ I think it speaks for itself. Havin’ a weapon has its perks when you know how to use it. Have you… 

_(CADOGAN’s voice grows more distant, despite him staying right where he is, as COBALT turns his focus towards the lake’s waters. His reflection stares back at him in the crystalline lake, mirroring an empty expression.)_

_(COBALT blinks. Suddenly, it’s not his reflection staring back at him, but the reflection of MAGNUS… the MAGNUS he saw in his dream the previous night. COBALT’s eyes dilate as he gazes into glassy eyes that don’t stare back. He closes and rubs his eyes, his head slightly twitching.)_

_(He opens them again. It’s his own reflection greeting him once more when he looks back at the water. A droplet of dew falls from the ceiling and lands on his reflection in the lake.)_

**Cadogan** : … Worth the brain damage, if you ask me. Now let’s get a move on. I keep feelin’ like somebody’s watchin’ us, and I’d rather not have my suspicions confirmed now as opposed to later.

**Cassandra** : Well said, my brain damaged allies. Onwards!

_(CASSANDRA strides off towards the other side of the room, where a small alcove seems to lead downwards to the bottom sixth floor, the intended location. CADOGAN mumbles something under his breath as he beckons his team members to follow.)_

**Cadogan** _[grumbled]_ : No need to be rude about it.

_(He, PIEDRO, and ROSA start off. VIVIENNE and LEONARDO tail the two, but VIVIENNE turns her head to notice COBALT, still kneeling, staring distantly at his own reflection.)_

**Vivienne** _[teasingly]_ : Hey, Cobalt! Are you getting lost staring at your ruggedly handsome self or what?

_(COBALT’s head shoots up, as he realizes the others are leaving. He stumbles to his feet, rushing over to join the two.)_

**Cobalt** _[hurriedly]_ : Sorry. Just… thinking, is all. 

**Vivienne** : Oh, looking _and_ thinking about yourself? And here I took you to be modest, Mr. Steele. _(She pauses, but neither of the males laugh.)_ You know I’m kidding, right?

**Leonardo** : Yeah, uh, why don’t you stick with Cassandra? We’ll take the back like we’ve been doing.

**Vivienne** _[obliviously]_ : Okie doke! 

_(She sails away on her tail, reaching the front in no time. COBALT begins to walk off as well, prompting LEONARDO to start moving to stay close.)_

**Leonardo** : Sorry about that. She can be… a bit in-your-face at times. _(COBALT grunts in response. LEONARDO raises an eyebrow.)_ Am I allowed to ask you how everything’s going for the twentieth time today?

**Cobalt** : I’d say everything’s going rather smoothly. 

**Leonardo** : With the mission, or with you?

_(A beat as the two reach the corner where the stairs begin. LEONARDO gazes at COBALT with worry.)_

**Cobalt** : … With the mission, yes. As for me… I don’t know. I think I’m just… out of my element, is all. 

**Leonardo** : Okay, well, do you wanna just hang back while we go in, then? I don’t think any of the others would object to you staying behind if you aren’t ready to fight.

**Cobalt** : It’s not that I’m not ready, Leo. I’m just… 

**Vivienne** : Guys? Are you coming?

_(The two turn to see the Alolan Raichu floating in their wake, waiting to be followed. LEONARDO opens his mouth, but COBALT gets the first word.)_

**Cobalt** : Yes, my apologies. 

_(COBALT starts off, walking past VIVIENNE and descending into the darkness swallowing the corner staircase. VIVIENNE turns to look at LEONARDO.)_

**Vivienne** : Is it just me, or is he a little weird?

_(LEONARDO opens his mouth again, but is unable to find the right thing to say. With a sigh, he trudges past VIVIENNE, also descending the staircase. VIVIENNE shrugs to herself and floats off after him.)_

* * *

_(CASSANDRA emerges into the bottom sixth floor from the tight staircase first, followed by the others behind her. The target room is rather vast for such a deep part of the mountain; the walls, ceiling, and floor is made up of jagged stone, and fragmented crystals litter the room on all sides. There is yet another lake off to the right, bigger and darker than that of the one above it. At the far end of the room, the floor appears to slope downwards somewhat, although what lies at the bottom is obscured in darkness.)_

**Cobalt** : This place seems eerily quiet for the most dangerous part of the dungeon.

**Leonardo** : Yeah, that’s what we thought the first time. Just keep quiet and be carefu–

**Cassandra** _[yelling]_ : _GUYS! WHERE ARE YOU?_

**Leonardo** _[restrained]_ : Shzzzzm! _(He hits CASS with a spoon as a warning.)_ Are you out of your mind? Keep spouting off like that, and we’ll get heard in no time.

**Cobalt** : Heard by what?

**Cassandra** : How else are they gonna hear us? Besides, what’s the worst that happens? Besides, there aren't only two of us like last time, we’ll be fine with whatever gets thrown at us… 

**Vivienne** _[nervously]_ : Uh… guys? Not to alarm you all or anything, but I don’t think the walls were glowing before.

_(The others look all around the walls and ceiling; indeed, the walls are shimmering with mysterious blue lights, but not the kind you’d see from crystals. The shiny glints seem to be coming from gemstones…_ moving _gemstones. Shadows climb all around the wall, their skittering-about sending a chill down COBALT’s spine.)_

**Rosa** : What the hell…? 

**Piedro** : Yeesh… 

**Cassandra** : Guys, ready yourselves. We’ve got company. 

_(Almost on cue, one of the shadows drops down from the ceiling, landing on the ground with a combat roll. The shadow appears to be a dark-purple imp creature, the source of the crystalline shimmering being its two eyes, which have the appearance of light blue gemstones. The imp flexes its claws, and begins slowly crawling towards the group.)_

**Cadogan** : What the hell are those things?

**Leonardo** : Sableye. Ghost-types that feast on rocks and gems. And, if memory serves me well, they do _not_ like sharing their food with other Pokémon.

_(As he says this, more Sableye drop onto the floor, hurtling themselves from walls and freefalling from the ceiling. Soon, a whole horde of the Darkness Pokémon are surrounding the rescue team of seven.)_

**Leonardo** _[frantically]_ : These things are Ghost _and_ Dark-type. We can’t touch these things with half of the moves in our arsenal. _(He turns his head to the Infernape.)_ This seems much more up your street than mine, Cassandra. Any ideas before they make a snack out of us?

**Cassandra** : I think I have one. Rosa, how much do you know about crowd control?

**Rosa** : I’m already one step ahead of you. 

_(CASS smiles, a fiery confidence overtaking her.)_

**Cassandra** : Perfect. What do you say we show these schmucks how hot it can get down here?

_(On cue, the Heatmor, with an approving nod, reels back, before releasing a spew of red-hot fire from her snout, scorching several of the Sableyes and scattering them everywhere. CASSANDRA rushes to the other side of ROSA as the other five disperse.)_

**Cassandra** : Vivienne, start shocking them! Piedro, run ‘em over! The rest of you, stay on the defensive and try and look around for any signs that Team Zulfiqar may be here! 

**Leonardo** : On it! Wait, my spoons-!

_(The Alakazam waves his hands in a circular formation near his chest, before holding his right hand out. As he performs this maneuver, the spoons in the hands of his friends all fly back to him, linking magically to the ring on his belt.)_

**Leonardo** : Perfect. Cadogan, Cobalt, let’s move!

_(LEONARDO, CADOGAN, and COBALT rush off, knocking away the occasional Sableye with a kick or a whack. A few of the imps tail them and try to launch themselves at one of the three, but CADOGAN knocks them away with a hefty swing of his bar.)_

_(Still surrounded on all sides, CASSANDRA smirks to herself.)_

**Cassandra** : Let’s do this. 

_(Her two fists begin to glow with golden-orange flames, and she rushes into the horde of Sableye with a swift flip, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. With every swing of her fists and legs, she slams one of the imps, landing Fire Punches and Blaze Kicks with every maneuver. Meanwhile, Rosa sticks further from direct action, blasting hordes of the Sableye with bursts of fire.)_

_(PIEDRO gets a running start and curls up into a boulder, rolling around the arena and bowling into the Sableye like pins. Following him and keeping his speed high is VIVIENNE, using psycho-electrical pulses to push the rolling Graveler forward at a consistent velocity, while taking every other opportunity to fire balls of pinkish-gold lightning at the imps, shocking them on impact.)_

**Vivienne** : Ya-HOO!

_(She pushes her sailing self off the ground, showering the Sableye below her with thunderbolts. PIEDRO emerges from rolling to grab onto four Sableye with his arms and slam them into the ground.)_

_(Back to the Fire-type duo, ROSA and CASSANDRA continue to dispatch the Sableye, as more and more of them fall to the ground, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. At one point, a Sableye manages to leap into CASSANDRA and attach itself to her face with a snarl. Before it can get a scratch in, however, ROSA shoots a blast of fire at CASS’s face, leaving the Infernape unfazed, but burning the Sableye, who falls to the floor with a screech.)_

**Cassandra** : Nice one.

**Rosa** : No problem. Where the hell are these things coming from, anyways?

_(As she says this, a Sableye climbs onto a nearby rock and makes a lunge towards ROSA. CASSANDRA grabs it in midair by the scruff of its neck and hurls it into the wall.)_

**Cassandra** : Less talking, more firing!

**Rosa** : Touché.

_(The two return to the remaining Sableyes, as VIVIENNE soars up to PIEDRO, the two getting cornered by a pack of the imps.)_

**Vivienne** : Hey! Rock guy! I know I seem super fragile and like I could crack like an egg if I got hit hard enough, but do you think you could throw me into those guys?

**Piedro** : Wha– _throw_ you?

**Vivienne** _[urgently]_ : Just trust me!

**Piedro** : Uh… I’ll take your word for it!

_(Without hesitation, the Graveler grabs VIVIENNE with his two arms, reels back, and rockets her into the crowd of Sableye; the Alolan Raichu envelops herself with electricity as she torpedoes into the horde of gremlins, sending them scattering in every direction with explosive lightning. She hits the back wall of the cave with her tail, cushioning the impact.)_

**Vivienne** : Not too shabby!

**Piedro** : Not too shabby at all. _(The two high-five, before noticing a larger pack of Sableye charging at them.)_ You mind if I do that again?

_(VIVIENNE nods excitedly, and she and PIEDRO assume the position once more.)_

_(Meanwhile, COBALT, LEONARDO, and CADOGAN navigate the dark room, still surrounded by Sableye. They knock the imps out of their pathways, pushing them aside through any means possible.)_

**Cadogan** : Sweet _Arceus_ , how many of these things are there?

**Leonardo** : Not… enough!

_(With an exaggerated swing of his arms, he uproots a small spiked boulder jutting out of the ground with psychic energy, and bowls it into a group of the Ghost-types, all screeching upon being hit. COBALT generates a ball of magenta energy, swirling with a draconic aura, and launches it into one of the Sableyes; it bursts with a sound reminiscent of a roar, knocking it and a few others away.)_

**Leonardo** _[quizzically]_ : Since when do you know how to use Dragon Pulse?

**Cobalt** : I’ve done some training. Come on!

_(COBALT directs the two to the sloped far end of the room. He skids to a halt upon reaching the slope, careful not to fall in. LEONARDO stumbles behind him, followed by CADOGAN, who’s in the middle of knocking a Sableye away with his metal bar.)_

**Cadogan** : Any idea what’s down there?

**Cobalt** : Only one way to find out. 

_(With that, he leaps down, sliding down into the alcove. The slope is steep, but not long; he slides into a dark cavern below with a cloud of dust. It’s hard to make out, but there’s a small tunnel in the opposite end of the wall leading into another room.)_

**Leonardo** _[offscreen, from above]_ : Waugh!

_(A thump is heard from the top of the slope, as LEO slides down on his back, landing with a tumble. He scrambles back on his feet, dusting himself off and adjusting his glasses.)_

**Leonardo** _[sheepishly]:_ Can’t say I shouldn’t have been more careful.

_(CADOGAN slides down from behind, stopping his fall by digging his bar into the ground. About a dozen Sableye nosedive down the pit behind him. On cue, LEONARDO waves his hands in front of him, and a bright blue barrier projects itself onto them in front of the three Pokémon, guarding them from the onslaught of Darkness Pokémon, who scratch at the Light Screen hopelessly. LEONARDO pushes against the weight of the attacks, maintaining the barrier with only some difficulty.)_

**Cadogan** : How long do you think you can hold those things off for?

**Leonardo** _[weakly]_ : Not… long… enough. _(He pushes against the attacks of the Sableyes with a grunt.)_ I can only keep the Light Screen up for a few minutes before my energy gives out.

**Cobalt** : Hold on, I think I have an idea.

_(COBALT closes his eyes, focusing his Aura through his hands and into his head.)_

_(From the other side of the room, CASSANDRA and ROSA continue whittling away at what’s left of the army of Sableyes, the numbers of conscious imps having decreased dramatically in the past few months. As she spews a burst of fire at one of them, she picks her head up, having received a signal from COBALT telepathically.)_

**Cassandra** : What the-?

_(She glances over at the pit, realizing where the signal came from. She glances at ROSA, who seems to have a solid handle on the rest of the Darkness Pokémon.)_

**Cassandra** : Rosa, you stay here with the others. Keep dealing with whatever comes this way, okay?

_(The Heatmor nods, as CASSANDRA dashes towards the pit.)_

_(From down below, COBALT opens his eyes, seeing LEONARDO continue to struggle against the barrier.)_

**Cadogan** _[aggravatedly]_ : And that was supposed to do what, exactly?

**Cobalt** : If it works, you’ll see. 

_(Almost on cue, a voice is heard from above.)_

**Cassandra** _[from above]_ : _FIRE IN THE HOLE!_

_(Without a second to waste, CASSANDRA rockets down the slope, bowling into the Sableye surrounded by fire. She skids to a halt in front of LEONARDO’s Light Screen, winking at the Alakazam before breathing out a wave of flames, spinning it around her like a tornado and burning the Sableyes, who howl in agony and scramble out of the pit. Upon completing the maneuver, she turns around, stomping out nearby flames that persist on the ground)_

**Cassandra** : What was that weird telepathy thing you did, Cobalt?

_(LEONARDO lets down the Light Screen with a gasp.)_

**Cobalt** : Just a simple transmission. I may not be a Psychic, but I can still send Aura waves to others as signals. Where are the others?

**Cassandra** : Still on their feet. We got rid of most of them. I’d say Rosa and I scared at least half of them into retreating, and Viv figured out an… _interesting_ strategy to dispatch the rest. 

_(A faint “WOO!” can be heard from the other side of the room, followed by a loud crunch. LEONARDO’s look is one of concern, but CASSANDRA waves it off.)_

**Cassandra** : She’ll be fine. Come on!

_(She guides the others’ attention towards the short tunnel that awaits them, ducking her head to go through. The others follow suit, although COBALT lingers behind momentarily, feeling the tingling of Aura tint his hands. He shakes the tension from his palms and heads through the crevice.)_

_(The four Pokémon emerge into the other side of the narrow pathway, a cavernous room with a low-lying ceiling and stalagmites covering every surface. The center of the room curves downwards, forming a wide crater in the floor. The apparent emptiness of the chambers allows the sound of footsteps to bounce off of the walls seamlessly. Despite this, there’s an unexplainable feeling emanating from somewhere in the room that the adventurers aren’t alone.)_

**Leonardo** : Whoa… _(He quickly performs the maneuver allowing his spoons to glow. This time, he holds up his ring of spoons like a lantern.)_ I don’t think Cassandra and I found ourselves down here during our first visit here. 

**Cassandra** : Yeah, definitely not. _(She cups her hands near her mouth.)_ _Guys? Are you down here?_

_(LEO almost stops her, but instead waits, listening for a response. Only silence greets them.)_

**Cadogan** : Hate to be the one to burst your bubbles, but I don’t think there’s much of anything to look at in here.

**Leonardo** : I don’t suppose a quick look-around would hurt, would it?

_(LEO walks down to the crater, studying the environment. COBALT follows him, carefully stepping down into the center.)_

**Cadogan** : Well, what’s there to look at? We’re looking for some missing folk, not weird craters. 

_(As CADOGAN says this, a rush of energy waves through COBALT’s body, taking him by surprise. The Lucario gets on one knee and presses a firm hand on the ground, as if feeling for something. LEONARDO looks at COBALT curiously.)_

**Cobalt** : Wait. I think I’m sensing something… 

**Leonardo** _[urgently]_ : Really? What?

**Cobalt** : I… I can’t get a clear picture of what. But someone’s underground… and they’re alive. 

**Leonardo** : _Alive?_ You don’t think… 

**Cassandra** : How hollow is the floor, anyway? 

_(Without waiting for an answer, CASSANDRA hops down to the crater, landing next to LEONARDO. She cracks her knuckles as LEONARDO looks on with hesitance.)_

**Leonardo** _[dryly]_ : I would ask you if punching out the ground is a good idea, but I’ve reached the point in our friendship where I know you’re gonna do it anyway.

**Cassandra** : You know me so well. 

_(With a loud grunt, CASSANDRA swiftly swings a flame-coated fist at the ground below, cracking the dry crater flooring below. She pants for a second, trading a look with LEONARDO, who nods to her, urging her to continue. With a confident nod, CASS punches the ground in again and again, denting and cracking it further, until the stone below shatters, creating a decent hole in the ground.)_

_(COBALT, LEONARDO, and CASSANDRA glance down the hole. LEONARDO gasps. In a small alcove beneath the surface,_ **_BRUCE_ ** _[_ ** _Gabite_** _],_ **_RIVER_ ** _[_ ** _Dewott_** _], and_ **_ZIGGS_ ** _[_ ** _Sandslash_** _], the three missing members of Zulfiqar, have been stashed away. The three are barely moving, and ZIGGS is seemingly unconscious; dirt covers their body, as well as cuts and other injuries. RIVER and BRUCE look upwards at the three, and their eyes widen.)_

**Cassandra** _[incredulously]_ : Oh my god. 

**River** _[weakly]_ : G-Guys? How did you find us?

**Leonardo** : Long story. Let’s get you out of here before we trade exposition. 

_(COBALT kneels down and lowers his arms down, allowing RIVER to grab on and get lifted out. The Dewott plants himself on the ground with the others with a dusty cough._

**Cassandra** : Is Ziggs okay? 

**Bruce** _[raspily]_ : They knocked him out. We got lost down here lookin’ for the others… we had to keep hidin’ all over the place to stop us from gettin’ caught. They only found us and forced us down here a few hours ago, I reckon… 

**Cassandra** : “ _They_ ”? Who’s “they”?

**Cadogan** : Uh, guys? We’ve got a problem!

_(The four stand up and look around. Bursting from the ground around them are a pack of Drilbur, clicking their claws together with ferocious speed, and Ferroseed, flexing their spikes in and out of their bodies. A loud rumbling begins to shake the ground, and out in front of the three bursts an angry Excadrill, shaking dirt off of its body and growling; it fixates its gaze on the four Pokémon in the crater, paying no mind to CADOGAN, who’s looking on in horror away from the action.)_

**Leonardo** _[frightenedly]_ : Oh no. 

_(CADOGAN takes one look at the group, one look at the Excadrill, and starts backing away.)_

**Cadogan** : I… uh… I’ll go get the others!

_(He dashes out of the room, leaving his metal bar behind. CASSANDRA growls.)_

**Cassandra** _[angered]_ : Damnit, Cadogan! Get your hide back here!

**Leonardo** : We’ve got more to worry about than him! 

**Cassandra** : He just wimped out on us? _Now_ , of all times!

_(COBALT looks frantically around at the Pokémon circling them, and comes to a conclusion as to what he needs to do..)_

**Cobalt** : Get the others out of there and teleport back. Tell the others to do the same. _(He flares his hands up with blue Aura.)_ I’ll distract them. 

**Cassandra** : What?

**Leonardo** _[nervously]_ : Cobalt, you can’t defeat them all if they’re swarming you. 

**Cobalt** : It doesn’t matter if I defeat them! What matters is them getting you out of here safely. 

**Leonardo** : What about you?

**Cobalt** : I’m not the one who needs saving! _(He stares at his teammates, a tense silence settling in between them. LEONARDO looks far more concerned than CASS does; the Infernape just looks bewildered, almost angry.)_ Just… just go! Get them out of there. I’ve got this handled.

_(Without waiting for a response, COBALT summons an orb of glowing Aura from the energy pulsating from his hands, and flings it in the direction of the Excadrill; it bursts upon hitting the Subterrene Pokémon, causing the mole to cry out and flinch. COBALT’s hands glow brightly and blue as the Lucario leaps to the top edge of the crater, summoning an azure bone out of the Aura for him to hold and swing at the Drilburs and Ferroseeds with.)_

_(With little reason or time to contend with the active Lucario, LEONARDO and CASSANDRA get to work hauling the others out of the hole. CASSANDRA reaches in, beginning to pull a significantly heavier BRUCE out of the alcove.)_

_(COBALT continues to bat away the Pokémon one by one, knocking them out swiftly with each hit. A Ferroseed launches itself towards the Lucario and collides with his arm, sticking into it with its thorns; COBALT yells out, pulling the Thorn Seed Pokémon out and hurling it in the direction of some of the Drilburs, causing them to scramble out of the way. COBALT ignores the pain stinging his left arm and makes a mad dash for the Excadrill, which seems to have redirected its focus on him to the others.)_

_(The Excadrill barely has time to charge up a headbutt towards LEONARDO and CASSANDRA, who have just retrieved the Gabite from underground, before COBALT jumps in front of them from the top. Summoning two more Bone Rushes, he crosses the aura-generated bones together and pushes against the mole’s head-drill aimed at his friends, shoving the Excadrill back several feet. With a howl, the Excadrill pounds the ground, sending several rocks from the ceiling falling onto the battlefield; COBALT simply bats several out of the way with his bones, including one aimed to fall on LEONARDO. One rock he flips into it, knocking it perfectly into the Excadrill’s head.)_

_(CASSANDRA dips herself into the underground cavern to retrieve the unconscious Sandslash, while LEONARDO puts up a psychic barrier in front of him and the other two members of Team Zulfiqar as a precaution.)_

_(The Excadrill charges COBALT head-on, and slams into COBALT’s two bone-staffs with full force, sending the Lucario flying back, as his Bone Rushes dissipate into nothingness. COBALT pushes himself back on his feet, dashing at the Excadrill with blue energy emanating from his trail. He strikes the Excadrill several times with agile Aura-infused punches, before the Subterrene Pokémon grabs him by the arm and flings him into a wall.)_

_(COBALT struggles back up, forming another Aura Sphere and firing it at the Excadrill, who simply bashes it upwards into the ceiling with a crash, sending several rocks down to the ground. COBALT lets out a frustrated growl, leaping towards the Excadrill and swinging at it full force… only for the Excadrill to dive into the ground below, leaving a large hole in its wake. COBALT stumbles to the ground, hitting nothing but air, before scrambling to his feet. Feeling for the vibrations underground, he redirects his attention towards CASSANDRA, who has just crawled out of the alcove with an unconscious ZIGGS on her back. His eyes widen, and he makes a mad dash for the Infernape.)_

**Cobalt** : _NO!_

_(He slams into CASSANDRA, his arms wrapped around her and ZIGGS as the Excadrill bursts out of the ground where she stood, its claws outstretched to stab her. As it turns its focus to the others and starts trying to pierce the Light Screen barrier created by LEONARDO, CASSANDRA wrestles herself out of COBALT’s protective tackle to check on ZIGGS, who fell to the ground in his save. Meanwhile, COBALT kneels back up somewhat shakily, firing his palms up with Aura once more.)_

**Cobalt** : Are you okay?

**Cassandra** _[somewhat shaken]_ : Uh… yeah. Thanks. 

_(Without a response, COBALT charges the Excadrill once more, firing two smaller Dragon Pulses at it, which hits its arm with a flash and no more. The Excadrill slams into the ground, sending a wave of rocks protruding from the ground towards COBALT, who leaps over it, barely dodging it with a clumsy landing. Before he can get up, the mole Pokémon slashes at COBALT, knocking him over again. The Excadrill picks up COBALT, pinning him against the wall by the neck with one claw, with the other aimed at his head. LEONARDO and CASSANDRA start towards him, with Team Zulfiqar, conscious and unconscious members alike, in tow.)_

**Leonardo** : Cobalt!

_(CASSANDRA rolls her eyes, leans back, and blows a pillar of fire at the Excadrill, hitting it squarely in the back. It recoils in searing pain, dropping COBALT and turning to the Infernape with fury.)_

**Cobalt** : Cassandra, _no!_

_(CASSANDRA ignores his cry and generates a ball of fire with the flick of a palm, careening it into the Excadrill, who only barely manages to destroy it before it gets hit by it.)_

**Cobalt** : Cassandra! Cassandra, _don’t_ -!

_(Again paying no mind to COBALT, the Flame Pokémon rockets herself towards the Excadrill at full speed, flames trailing her footsteps. She hits it firmly with a Fire Punch, before kicking it in the chest, sending it to the floor. With a smirk, she charges it again while it’s down, preparing to land the final blow…)_

_(... Before it slashes her in the chest with its claw, sending her stumbling to the ground and canceling her attack. LEONARDO gasps in horror.)_

**Leonardo** : Cassandra! Hold on!

_(LEONARDO dashes like he’s never dashed before over to the two Pokémon. COBALT tries to grab him to stop him, but isn’t able to hold him back.)_

**Cobalt** : Leonardo, _wait!_

_(LEONARDO slides in front of CASSANDRA, projecting a Light Screen in front of her just as the Excadrill tries to go in for the kill with its claw.)_

**Cassandra** _[weakly]_ : Nice one, Le! 

**Leonardo** : Cobalt, go!

_(As LEONARDO pushes the barrier into the Excadrill, knocking it over, COBALT realizes what he needs to do. Charging the Excadrill a final time, he fills his hands with as much Aura as he can summon, dives towards the mole Pokémon, and begins punching it rapidly, each punch pulsating with the familiar blue lifeforce. COBALT finishes the Close Combat with a definitive kick in the stomach, sending the Excadrill sliding into the back wall of the room, unconscious. The Drilburs still scattered around the battlefield instantly retreat, their leader having been usurped.)_

_(All is quiet. The battle is won.)_

_(Shaking with exhaustion, COBALT immediately turns around and stumbles over to CASSANDRA and LEONARDO, the former still on the ground with a large cut on her stomach. LEONARDO is sifting through his bag, searching for a way to heal CASS.)_

**Leonardo** : I don’t know if I have bandages for something like this, Cassandra…

_(COBALT kneels by CASSANDRA’s side, his hands pulsating with a weak blue.)_

**Cobalt** : Hold on, Leonardo. Do you mind if I…?

_(CASSANDRA says nothing, nor does she look at COBALT; she only responds with a curt nod. The Lucario lightly presses a hand against her wound, prompting the Infernape to wince. COBALT’s hand glows slightly brighter, surrounding the cut with the same blue Aura, as the blood slowly begins to dry up, and the wound heals itself slightly. Allowing the Life Dew to simmer on her wound, COBALT removes his touch.)_

**Cobalt** : I’m afraid I can’t heal it completely, but the Life Dew will prevent it from getting infected. The pain should be slightly more bearable, too.

_(COBALT stands up, as does CASSANDRA. A moment of silence settles in between the three, before CASSANDRA turns to face COBALT…)_

_(... and punches him in the nose. COBALT stumbles back, grasping his face in pain. LEONARDO sputters in disbelief.)_

**Leonardo** : _Cassandra!_

_(CASSANDRA doesn’t acknowledge the Alakazam’s shout, pulling COBALT back up by the shoulders to look her in the eye.)_

**Cassandra** : What the hell was that, Cobalt? Huh? 

**Cobalt** : What are you talking about? I was only trying to–

**Cassandra** : Trying to do _what_? Get yourself killed on day one? Did you just _not_ _realize_ that stupid thing was ready to pop your head like a balloon? What kind of idiot do you have to be to try and do all of the heavy lifting, at the risk of _your life_ , when Leonardo and I were both perfectly capable of helping you?

**Cobalt** : I said I was going to distract it. 

**Cassandra** : Trying to distract it isn’t an excuse for trying to tell us to leave while you get nearly skewered by a feral! That’s not a distraction, that’s some self-sacrificial bullcrap!

**Cobalt** _[stumbling]_ : It wasn’t… I wasn’t trying to… 

**Cassandra** : No one was asking you to be a hero, Cobalt! No one was asking you to go out of your way to… 

**Cobalt** _[exploding]_ : _I didn’t want you to get hurt, okay?_

_(A beat. LEONARDO and CASSANDRA stare at him, both shocked for very, very different reasons. CASSANDRA physically backs off. COBALT sighs.)_

**Cobalt** : I just… didn’t want to risk you or Leonardo getting hurt for my sake. _(Another pause.)_ That’s all it was. And I’m sorry. 

_(CASSANDRA stares at COBALT incredulously. Her palpable outrage seems to soften, but her anger remains unmitigated.)_

**Cassandra** _[firmly]_ : … I appreciate the concern, Cobalt. Seriously, I do. But that risk comes with the job, you _know_ that. And if you _really_ cared so much about making sure no one’s sticking their neck out for you, then you wouldn’t have thrown yourself into that Excadrill as if it was your divine right. Being a part of an exploration team means you’re working _as_ a _team_ , not going off on your own just ‘cuz you’re scared your friends are gonna get scratched up. 

_(LEONARDO looks down, unable to dissent or disagree. COBALT says nothing in return. CASSANDRA walks up to COBALT once more, facing him head-on.)_

**Cassandra** : And if you think for a second that I’m gonna let that fly on my team, then you and I have _very_ different ideas as to how long you’re gonna be riding with us. _(A poisonous silence settles in.)_ Don’t do that again, Cobalt. I might not know you all that well, but I already know you’re a hell of a lot smarter than what you just pulled. Have I made myself clear?

**Cobalt** _[stiffly]_ : Crystal. 

_(CASSANDRA looks unconvinced, but she shakes her head, turning away from COBALT and towards Team Zulfiqar, who have simply been looking on quietly.)_

_(VIVIENNE suddenly flies through the entrance on her tail, almost appearing ready to strike whatever may approach her. However, she lets her guard down after seeing Team Zulfiqar near CASSANDRA; she immediately swoops up to the three rescued Pokémon and starts checking on them.)_

**Vivienne** : Oh, thank goodness! Are you guys okay? What’s happened?

**River** : Vivienne! We’re… we’re okay. 

**Cassandra** : Don’t accost them, Viv. They’ve had a rough week.

_(Following behind is CADOGAN, leading PIEDRO and ROSA into the room as well. Immediately, CASSANDRA turns to him and glares at PIEDRO, who shrinks.)_

**Cassandra** _[angrily]_ : Thanks for the help, Cadogan. _Real_ classy of you to duck out on us right when we’re actually in any kind of danger. 

**Cadogan** : Hey, I was just getting the others! ‘sides, I figured you had a handle on it.

**Cassandra** _[growling]_ : Keep telling yourself that.

**Leonardo** _[hurriedly]_ : Cassandra, I think that’s enough. We’re exhausted, our friends even moreso. We’re not accomplishing anything by getting mad at each-other. Let’s just be happy everyone is safe and head back home together, alright? We need to get them to a medic, pronto.

_(CASSANDRA almost shoots LEONARDO the same glare, but her expression softens. She sighs, retrieving the Rollcall Orbs from her satchel.)_

**Cassandra** : We’re lucky the _Excadrill_ didn’t break this. Here.

_(CADOGAN rolls his eyes, taking an Orb. VIVIENNE does the same, as does PIEDRO, ROSA, and, finally, LEONARDO.)_

**Cassandra** : River, go with Vivienne. Bruce, I’ll take you and Ziggs. 

_(VIVIENNE hovers over to the Dewott, who places a shaky hand on the Orb. CASSANDRA does the same, stretching her arm out to allow BRUCE to take hold, and to press ZIGGS’ hand to it.)_

**Leonardo** : What about Cobalt?

_(COBALT glances at LEONARDO, and remembers he doesn’t have his own Orb to speak of. LEONARDO also seems to realize this.)_

**Leonardo** : … You can just come with me. 

**Cobalt** : Thanks.

_(COBALT takes hold of LEONARDO’s Orb.)_

**Cassandra** : Activate on three. Hold on tight. _(The others confirm they’re ready with a few scattershot nods and grunts.)_ One… two… three! 

_(At the end of CASSANDRA’s countdown, each of the Pokémon run a hand across the surfaces of their Orbs, activating them; the Orbs glow upon activation, enveloping their users in a blue light, and teleporting them out of the dungeon. One-by-one, the different groups disappear into the light. LEONARDO is the last to do so. COBALT closes his eyes, a pained expression crossing onto his face, as he, too, blinks out of the dungeon with LEO.)_

* * *

_(During a silent sequence, we see COBALT and LEONARDO reappear outside of the dungeon, stumbling onto the ground as the pull of the Rollcall Orb sends them right in front of CLAYMORE, who is already busy checking in on the members of Team Zulfiqar delivered by the others. GLENNARD, at his side, turns around to acknowledge the Alakazam and the Lucario, nodding his head towards them with a proud smile. He gives them a thumbs up, and beckons them to join their teammates under a tent, where CASSANDRA is receiving medical attention. Without skipping a beat, LEONARDO takes COBALT by the hand and pulls him towards the tent.)_

_(COBALT is seen wrapping a bandage around his arm over a nasty-looking cut on his lonesome. He glances over to CASS, who seems busy conversing with the Chansey who is helping her clean up her wounds. The two momentarily lock eyes, and an intrusive sliver of guilt slips itself into COBALT’s consciousness. The Lucario looks down uncomfortably.)_

_(Next, COBALT, LEONARDO, CASSANDRA, VIVIENNE, and GLENNARD stand on the train platform, now accompanied by the somewhat healed-up Team Zulfiqar, as well as CLAYMORE, CADOGAN, ROSA, and PIEDRO. As the Blackbird Express approaches in the distance, CASSANDRA firmly shakes ROSA’s and PIEDRO’s hands, while VIVIENNE high-fives PIEDRO with one of his other arms. CASSANDRA skips CADOGAN’s, giving the Gurdurr a dirty look, and moves straight to bidding CLAYMORE farewell; the older Conkeldurr returns with a small, approving smile.)_

_(The members of Team Pulse sit on the Blackbird Express train car with GLENN, alongside the three members of Team Zulfiqar, their eyes closed in exhaustion. A sack of gold sits next to CASSANDRA, a gift from the people of Piercerock for their duties. VIVIENNE and GLENN laugh at a joke GLENN cracked, but the others don’t seem as receptive; CASS sits by the window, staring out at the passing prairies in silence. LEONARDO has fallen asleep, his snores unheard; his head leans on COBALT’s shoulder, who sits quietly, not making eye contact with any of the others.)_

_(GLENNARD approaches the front doors of the Soulstar Guild building, opening them to allow Team Pulse and Team Zulfiqar to enter. Instantly, the three Pokémon are swarmed by their guildmates celebrating their return, making sure they’re okay, asking them what happened. The Zulfiqar trio seem a little overwhelmed, but they don’t resist their guildmates’ worry; a few of them even seem to be in tears.)_

_(The Pokémon of Team Pulse, as well as GLENN, stick to the back of the crowd of Guild members. VIVIENNE nudges LEONARDO and CASS, directing her attention to GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH, standing on the other side of the crowd with RIZZI, both grinning ear-to-ear. ZAKARIAH nods to the group, side-stepping his Guild members to approach the five.)_

**Zakariah** _[quietly]_ : You did real good today, you guys. Everyone in this room owes it to ya. _(He begins to walk away, towards the members of Team Zulfiqar.)_ Get some rest, alright?

_(With that, he submerges himself in the crowd, patting BRUCE firmly on the back. CASSANDRA smiles. VIVIENNE turns to her friends, somehow just as energetic,_

**Vivienne** : Hey, what do you guys say we celebrate? Shucks Café, on me?

**Glennard** : I’ve eaten jack all since we got on the train this morning. Count me in. 

**Cassandra** : Same here. I’m starving.

_(LEONARDO yawns subduedly.)_

**Leonardo** : I’d love to.

**Cassandra** : Not if you’re gonna fall asleep at the table, you wouldn’t.

_(VIVIENNE giggles. LEONARDO looks at CASSANDRA with a “really?” type of look.)_

**Leonardo** : I’m not telling the comedy queen to relinquish her crown, but I _am_ saying that I'm hungry. Let me live.

**Vivienne** : How about it, Cobalt? 

**Cobalt** _[quietly]_ : Thank you for offering, but I think I’m going to pass for tonight.

_(VIVIENNE’s ears droop.)_

**Vivienne** : Aw, why not?

**Cassandra** : C’mon, Viv, it’s been a long day. Let the guy rest if he wants to.

**Leonardo** : You know how to get to my place, right, Coby? _(COBALT nods, as LEONARDO summons a key from his spoon ring to his hand, and passes it off to his Lucario companion.)_ You can let yourself in. Just try not to fall asleep before I come home so you can let me in, too, okay?

**Cobalt** : Yes, of course. Thank you.

_(He takes the key in hand, and quietly leaves the Guild building, stepping out into the Maraud Town Square, into the evening summer glow. Dozens of Pokémon seem to surround him; he doesn’t register a single one of them. With a sigh, COBALT strolls off alone.)_

* * *

_(Some time later, COBALT sits on his lonesome inside of his bedroom in LEONARDO’s house, staring out the window at a lamppost on the other side of the street visible from his room. He stares at it for a few moments, expecting something to change, but nothing happens. He isn’t sure why he’s expecting something; after all, it’s just a lamppost.)_

_(_ Knock knock! _A knock at his bedroom door.)_

**Cobalt** _[loudly]_ : Come in.

_(LEONARDO pokes his head into the room, a book in one hand.)_

**Leonardo** : Hey. Just letting you know, I’m going on a walk before I head to bed. Just wanted to clear my head. There’s a sandwich from the café in the kitchen, if you need something to eat later tonight.

**Cobalt** : Alright, thank you. 

_(Silence ensues. LEONARDO stares at the back of COBALT’s head, waiting for something more. When he doesn’t receive anything else, he begins to speak again.)_

**Leonardo** : Job well done today, by the way. The mission wouldn’t have gone nearly as well without you.

_(COBALT turns around, feeling a pang in his stomach as he recalls how the mission ended.)_

**Cobalt** : I appreciate it, Leonardo. _(A beat.)_ I’m sorry. I just… can’t help but think I’ve failed you three in how I acted.

_(LEONARDO’s eyebrows raise, before lowering as the Alakazam looks away.)_

**Leonardo** : Of course you didn’t fail, Cobalt. You helped save three lives today. I know Cass was angry, but she never holds things over people’s heads unless they _really_ screw up, y’know? 

_(An awkward silence. COBALT doesn’t look convinced. LEONARDO sighs.)_

**Leonardo** : It’ll be alright, Coby. Trust me. Don’t beat yourself up too much over it. Just… be more careful next time, okay?

**Cobalt** : … Okay. Thanks. 

_(A slight smile crosses LEO’s face.)_

**Leonardo** : Anytime. _(He starts back out the door.)_ I’ll be back in an hour. Get some rest.

**Cobalt** : Stay safe.

_(LEONARDO nods, closing the door, leaving COBALT alone to his ruminations.)_

_(COBALT eyes the wooden desk in his room. Ignoring the rickety-looking chair, the desk is empty, spare for a few pieces of loose parchment and a quill lying askew on the surface.)_

_(Suddenly, an idea strikes his mind. COBALT stands up, and walks out of his room. Instead of heading to the kitchen or living room, however, he carefully opens the door to LEONARDO’s room.)_

_(His friend’s bedroom is about as spick and span as one would expect from someone like LEO. The large bed is neatly made, though, based on the way the pillows are adjusted, it’s clear LEONARDO only sleeps on one side of it. The large wooden desk near the door is covered in papers, maps, books with leaflets inside of them, pencils and quills… one book is lying open on top, its text filled with notes written in the margins. A few framed pictures hang on the wall, and ceramic pots, some with plants growing in them, lay on top of the dresser. A small chest lies open in the corner of the room, filled to the brim with blankets.)_

_(COBALT doesn’t encroach on his friend’s space for long, however; he simply swipes a small jar of ink from the desk, as well as an envelope from a drawer in the desk. Items in hand, he leaves the room.)_

_(He re-enters his own bedroom, and sits down at the flimsy chair near his own desk. He fingers one of the pieces of parchment from the small stack on the desk, sets down the jar of ink by his side, and picks up the quill. After staring at the blank piece of paper for a moment, COBALT dips the quill into the still-fresh ink, and jots something at the top of his paper.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover]_ : Dear brother… 

_(COBALT stops. No, that doesn’t feel right. He moves the first piece of parchment to the side and retrieves a fresh piece. He dips his quill back into the ink and begins again…)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Dear Magnus… 

_(That’s better. COBALT nods to himself, and starts writing.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : I must admit, I cannot remember the last occasion I penned a letter to you. Or, perhaps, I’ve simply lost track of how much time has passed since the last time I have felt the urge to write to you. Not that there has been a need to long before recently; after all, for years, the distance between us two has been understandably small. Words didn’t need to be traded through quill and parchment when much of our time was spent within close proximity of each-other. 

_(He stops abruptly. Pondering what to say next, he re-inks the feather quill and continues. As he does so, the camera cuts to outdoors in Maraud Town, where we see LEONARDO, wearing a beige cardigan and carrying a dark leather satchel, walking down the street, nodding his head to passersby Pokémon who greet him, but otherwise keeping a steady pace full speed ahead. The Alakazam’s expression is darkened, almost grim.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Rising in me recently is a sudden desire to write to you, however. I wish I could say I didn’t know of the source of this urge, but, truth be told, my reasoning is clear as day, hard as it is to explain. It’s sentimental, and maybe somewhat silly, but I won’t deny the comfort it brings me in this strange, uncertain time.

_(We cut back to Piercerock, where CLAYMORE accompanies CADOGAN, PIEDRO, and ROSA to the building of their guild. PIEDRO rolls away, prompting ROSA to chase after him. CADOGAN doesn’t follow; the Gurdurr looks down at the iron bar in his hands, his forehead wrinkling. CLAYMORE pats his son on the shoulder; CADOGAN looks up and smiles weakly at the Conkeldurr, although his conscience isn’t quite clear.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Almost a week has passed since our final mission together. _(A beat.)_ I try my hardest not to dwell on the events of that day, but, lo and behold, my memories often get the better of me. In the time that has passed since, there have been occasions where I’ve been able to distract myself from my own thoughts–sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for a few hours. It is with frustration that I admit these moments are sparse in nature, never lasting quite long enough for me to be able to truly forget. And Arceus knows how badly I want to forget. 

_(GLENNARD patrols the dim hallways of Soulstar’s housing quarters, checking in on the guild members who are staying the night; on the other side of the corridor, RIZZI does the same, tapping the doors with her sceptre to open them. As GLENN closes a door, wishing one of the Guild members a good night, he catches RIZZI sneaking him a vitriolic look; the Mime Jr.’s head jerks away upon him noticing. The Goodra lifts an eyebrow, but stays quiet, continuing his duties.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Every so often, I’m reminded of something you used to tell people when you’d introduce the two of us. Something silly about how, between the two of us, I was the brain, and you, the brawn. All I could do at the time was laugh and roll my eyes at how derivative and ridiculous you sounded whenever you repeated it to someone. _(Another beat.)_ It wasn’t until recent memory that I found myself thinking more on your insistence on calling me the “brain”. The “brain”, as in the wise and intelligent. As in the one who knew how to face challenges with a level head. The one who always found answers to questions that weren’t easy to think about. _(Again, a pause in dialogue.)_ Was that what you really meant, Magnus? 

_(VIVIENNE is seen in the main hall of Soulstar, standing on a table and juggling four wooden mugs, surrounded by a few members of the guild cheering her on. She stumbles, dropping one of them, but stops the others from hitting the ground with her psychic powers. The others laugh and cheer, as the Raichu giggles along with them, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.)_

_(Her head turns as the doors of the Guild open, revealing LEONARDO; VIVIENNE waves furiously at the Alakazam, who returns it half-heartedly. He heads to the other side of the room, reaching the entrance to the hallways just as GLENN opens them; the Goodra nods a hello to LEO, who barely acknowledges it walking through the doors. GLENN shrugs, deciding against questioning his friend’s apparent disquietude.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : I only ask because, if your intention is as clear as I see it, then you’re unequivocally correct. You’re correct, and that scares me. I was always quick on my feet to attend to matters most pressing when it was the matters of a stranger, or perhaps a friend. Yet I now find myself to be completely incapable of conjuring up a solution for myself. Is there a solution? Is one as plain-in-sight as some that I’ve encountered while helping others? The irony is that these questions don’t come with answers, either. It’s a paradox, a cycle of problems I can only greet with more questions in the absence of solutions.

_(CASSANDRA lounges under a tree in the Maraud Green park, the wind blowing the grass she lies in. As stares up at the moon, her hand brushes over the wound she sustained earlier, and her mouth thins. She stands up again, and begins to walk away from the tree, a small burn mark in the tree where she was leaning her head.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : I suppose the one thing I was never good at was letting go. But how am I supposed to learn now? How am I supposed to move on when I feel your Aura everywhere, Magnus? You follow me wherever I go; reminders of your presence appear at every corner. All day today, on my first mission without you by my side, I couldn’t focus on the exhilaration, the thrills, the danger… the pride I feel knowing I saved lives today, although marred by my own recklessness. You’ve even followed me into my dreams… though I fear I cannot discern whether or not these visions are dreams or nightmares. _(Another pause.)_ There’s a hole in my chest, and, no matter how hard I try to fill it with anything else, all I can think about is how you’re gone, and _I couldn’t do anything about it._

_(LEONARDO marches down the same dark hallway GLENN was in before, passing by RIZZI once more, who greets the Alakazam. LEO continues walking until he reaches the door to GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH’s office. He knocks on the door.)_

_(ZAKARIAH emerges from his office, less dressed-up than usual, and looking as if he were about to fall asleep. The Obstagoon’s scorn melts away, however, upon seeing LEONARDO at his door, recognizing the Alakazam’s worry. ZAKARIAH allows LEONARDO inside his office without a word, closing the door behind them.)_

_(We cut back to COBALT, writing more furiously now; the flow of his writing remains unbroken.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Guildmaster Orgon told me a few days ago not to leave room for guilt or shame when I’m already filled with grief, or else I wouldn’t be able to grieve at all. But is that a bad thing? No one knows you nearly as well as I do, and I know you wouldn’t have wanted to see me like this. You wouldn’t have wanted to see me fall apart over your absence.

_(COBALT stops again. He sighs, putting the quill down so as to not stain the paper, and flexing his right hand to relieve it of the mild discomfort caused by writing for this long without stopping. When he picks up the quill again, he doesn’t continue his writing, but instead crosses out the entire paragraph he just wrote. He replenishes his ink once more, and begins again.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : Now I rest in an unfamiliar town, at a complete and utter loss. I struggled to bring myself to sleep yesterday evening, if only because I couldn’t help but think about what I could’ve done to stop it. That, and what I can do to stop myself from dwelling on the past like this. I doubt there’s anything, really, but the absence of an answer will always be a dissatisfying one. 

_(COBALT smiles sadly to himself, almost in a self-deprecating manner. He continues.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : But that’s no matter, I suppose. You’ve likely grown weary of my waxed poetics written in a futile attempt to find reassurance in uncertainty. The problems I’ve created for myself are my burden, only; not yours. I’m sure, eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel will appear to me, and I’ll find a way to move on as I’ve longed to. In the meantime, I promise to stay resilient, and to keep ahead with my head held high, with the understanding, the confidence, that the end of my grief is near.

_(One last dip into the ink jar. COBALT has nearly run out of space on the parchment, despite his tiny handwriting.)_

**Cobalt** _[voiceover, cont’d]_ : I miss you dearly, Magnus. I’m sure you won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon. No matter where you may be now, always remember that you are close to my heart everywhere I go. I promise I’ll write to you again.For now, however, I bid you farewell. _(A beat.)_ I love you. Your friend and brother… Cobalt.

_(COBALT signs his name, and sets the quill down; he grips the edge of the desk, his hands trembling. He takes a deep breath, wiping the tears forming in his eyes.)_

_(Wordlessly, COBALT puts the quill in the ink jar, and sets it down neatly near the back of his desk. He folds up his letter, inserting it into the paper envelope he retrieved from LEONARDO’s room, and seals the sleeve tightly. The Lucario stands up, staring at the letter in his hand, unsure what to do with it now. He resolves to bend over, opening the drawer of his desk, and slipping the envelope in the far back of the empty locker, concealed by the top of the desk. He shuts the drawer quietly.)_

_(His work for the night finished, COBALT walks away from the desk to turn the lamp illuminating the room off, engulfing the area in darkness. He walks around his bed and reaches for the curtains to pull over the window… but he hesitates. Something compels him not to, but he knows better. He pulls the drapes across, covering the window looking out to the streets of Maraud Town.)_

_(COBALT pulls the covers out and slips under the blankets for the second time ever. He lies completely still in the bed, staring at the same ceiling that kept him awake the previous night. With one last wary glance out the window, COBALT rolls over, and closes his eyes, unsure if he wants sleep to embrace him or not.)_

_(A few seconds of stillness pass. In spite of the presence of the opaque curtain, a familiar dreamy blue light gleams faintly from the window.)_

* * *

**_THE END_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Whoa, you actually read through all of that! If you really just read that entire episode, thank you so, so much! It means a lot that my silly little stories are reaching someone, even if it's only a few, or even one reader.
> 
> As promised, if you at any point were confused with the Pokémon characters' species and/or names while reading, here is a masterlist of all of the named characters! Hopefully, if there's any confusion, this helps clear it up somewhat.
> 
> COBALT - Lucario  
> LEONARDO / LEO - Alakazam  
> CASS / CASSANDRA - Infernape  
> VIVIENNE - Alolan Raichu  
> GUILDMASTER ZAKARIAH - Obstagoon  
> RIZZI - Mime Jr.  
> GLENNARD / GLENN - Goodra  
> CADOGAN - Gurdurr  
> PIEDRO - Graveler  
> ROSA - Heatmor  
> CLAYMORE - Conkeldurr  
> RIVER - Dewott  
> BRUCE - Gabite  
> ZIGGS - Sandslash
> 
> Once again, if you're still here, thank you so much for your time. I hope to pump out the next episode far more quickly than I did this one. (Seriously, this took seven months. Blasphemous.) 
> 
> Happy holidays! <3


End file.
